Director of Medical Education
U.S. Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Ian M. Rivera Ian M. Rivera serves as the Designated Institutional Official of Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, overseeing the training of more than 100 U.S. military officers in six Graduate Medical Education specialty programs. DDEAMC prepares its graduates to lead in serving the medical needs of the U.S. military across the globe. As a practicing physician, Dr. Rivera holds dual board certifications in internal medicine and nephrology. He is an assistant professor of medicine at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland as well as a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta Georgia. Dr. Rivera’s scholarly works span multiple areas to include emerging trends in extracorporeal blood purification, cost-utilization analysis, and renal physiology.
Dr. Rivera graduated from the Honors Program of Augusta University in 2003 with a bachelor of science in biology and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army as a Distinguished Military Graduate in Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia in 2007. He completed a military residency in internal medicine at DDEAM at Fort Eisenhower, Georgia, in 2010, and a fellowship in nephrology at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, in 2014. Dr. Rivera’s military education includes the Healthcare Management Course of the Joint Medical Executive Skills Institute at Joint Base San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, the Army Medical Department Captains Career Course, the AMEDD Officer Basic Course, Basic Airborne Course, the Combat Casualty Care Course, and the Army Flight Surgeon Course.
Dr. Rivera arrived at DDEAMC in April 2016 where he currently serves at the Director of Medical Education and Chief of the Nephrology service. He previously served at DDEAMC as the program director and assistant program director for the Transitional Year Residency training program. Prior to this assignment, Dr. Rivera served as the director of dialysis and as a staff nephrologist at San Antonio Military Medical Center, JBSA-FSH from 2014-2016. During that assignment, Dr. Rivera volunteered for deployment as the battalion surgeon for 4th Squadron, 9th US Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division in defense of the Korean Peninsula during armistice operations where he also served as the officer in charge of the Brigade Combined Troop Aid Station. He completed training as a nephrology fellow at WRNMMC from 2012–2014. He also served as the Battalion Surgeon for 603rd Aviation Support Battalion, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division from 2010–2012 where he assisted with the redeployment of the brigade from Operation Enduring Freedom (XII) and medically prepared his battalion for future contingency operations. Dr. Rivera maintains board certification in internal medicine and nephrology by the American Board of Internal Medicine and he completed his internship and residency training in internal medicine at DDEAC in 2010.
Dr. Rivera’s awards and decorations include the Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster, Armed Forces Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Flight Surgeon Badge, and Parachutist Badge.
Dr. Rivera has served on multiple local, hospital, and national committees, including service as a member of the Scientific Review Committee and Risk Management/Peer Review Committees at the hospital level. Dr. Rivera also served at the national level as the Army Nephrology breakout coordinator of the Tri-Service Chapter of the American College of Physicians Annual Meeting. Dr. Rivera is a Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology.