Dgmc Commander Receives Award

DGMC commander receives 2009 Excellence in Military Emergency Medicine Award By 60th Medical Group Public Affairs – 20 February 2009 Travis Air Force Base, WA -- Dr. (Col.) Lee E. Payne, commander of the 60th Medical Group at David Grant USAF Medical Center, received the 2009 Excellence in Military Emergency Medicine Award from the Government Services chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians. "I am very humbled to receive this award,” said Dr. Payne. “During my more than twenty year career in Emergency Medicine, I have witnessed those who have been selected in past years by the chapter from all three services to receive this award. Many of them were my mentors and I have always held those honored in high esteem. Dr. Payne entered the Air Force in 1987 after completion of his medical training and has remained on active duty since. While an AF emergency physician he began his career with his first assignment at Madigan Army Medical Center’s Department of Emergency Medicine. After a successful tour at MAMC, Dr. Payne went to Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas where he was a staff emergency medicine physician and moved up to become the chief of the acute care division. In 1995, his military career took him down the command track causing him to leave the full-time practice of emergency medicine. His career has been impressive; three tours as a Military Treatment Facility commander including his current assignment as 60 MDG commander at DGMC, the second largest MTF in the Air Force Medical Service. In his current assignment, Dr. Payne has found time to remain clinically active as an emergency medicine physician. “It is one of the greatest professional validations one can receive when you are singled out by a group of your peers,” said Dr. Payne. “I am extremely grateful."

Dr. Payne will be a guest on the MHS online broadcast “Dot Mil Docs” on Mar. 10 to talk about the significant changes in patient safety and the quality of health care under his leadership.