SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Feb. 5, 2024 – Four health care professionals from Defense Health Network Central will be recognized for their extensive contributions to military health care during the Annual Meeting of AMSUS, The Society of Federal Health Professionals, on Feb. 12, 2024.

AMSUS awards recognize excellence in leadership, safety, innovation, and patient care across the federal government. This year, AMSUS received 400 completed submissions from federal agencies to include the Army, Air Force, Navy, Defense Health Agency, Veterans Affairs and Uniformed Services University, according to the organization’s website. Of the 400 nominations, only 15 individuals – four from DHN Central – were selected to receive an award. The four DHN Central recipients are:Rising Star Award: 

• US Army Lt. Col. Jeanne Krick, Brooke Army Medical Center
• Dentist Award: US Air Force Lt. Col. Christopher Raimondi, 59th Dental Group
• Lewis L. Seaman Enlisted Award for Outstanding Support - Senior Enlisted (E-7-E-9): US Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Ashley Jackson, 375th Medical Group
• Lewis L. Seaman Enlisted Award for Outstanding Support - Junior Enlisted (E-5-E-6): US Army Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Palmieri, Bassett Army Community Hospital

“We are incredibly proud of our DHN Central teammates and the hard work, dedication to mission, and spirit of innovation that led to this well-deserved recognition,” said Air Force Maj. Gen. Thomas Harrell, director, DHN Central. “These recipients not only have distinguished themselves within the federal government, but also have left a mark on their respective career fields.”

Lt. Col. Jeanne Krick
Krick, program director for the neonatology-perinatology fellowship at BAMC, will receive the Rising Star Award for her leadership skills and positive impact on the military health care system. Krick oversees the education and development of Army and Air Force fellows within the largest military fellowship of its kind and is also one of the military’s top subject matter experts on ethics, according to the award nomination.

Krick is a “triple threat physician with strong research, clinical and teaching abilities,” the nomination letter said. “She will be a force of positive change in the military medical complex for years to come.”

“I have been so very honored to be a part of so many great teams at both my current and past assignments, I feel like this is truly more of a reflection of all of them than anything else,” she said. “Both my leadership and my colleagues have allowed me to continue to love serving our unique patient population, as well as supported me in some of my own more personal career goals. I am incredibly humbled to accept the award on behalf of all of them.”

Lt. Col. Christopher Raimondi

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Christopher Raimondi was presented with the dentist award during the 2024 AMSUS Annual Meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, on Feb. 12. Presenting the award is U.S. Air Force Surgeon General Lt. Gen Robert Miller, and AMSUS Executive Director and CEO John Cho.

Raimondi, assistant director for clinical research, Dental Research and Consultation Service, 59th Dental Group, Joint Base San Antonio, will receive for his contributions as the Air Force’s sole dual dental materials and clinical research scientist. According to his nomination, Raimondi and his team successfully integrated diverse clinical assets, culminating in 155 new findings disseminated to personnel across 340 clinics, while also providing 600 hours of graduate-level instruction to 87 residents. In August 2023, he became the military consultant to the Air Force surgeon general for dental biomaterials.

Per the nomination, Raimondi’s “pioneering research, mentorship, and leadership have led to transformative advancements in the field of dental science.”

“I am honored to be selected for this award, and I am incredibly grateful that I made the choice to be a US Air Force dental officer,” Raimondi said. “I consider myself blessed to have been given so many unique opportunities for personal and professional growth.”

Senior Master Sgt. Ashley Jackson and Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Palmieri will receive the Lewis L. Seaman Enlisted Award for Outstanding Support, which recognizes a junior and senior enlisted medical healthcare professional who has “exhibited excellence in advancing the healthcare mission of their service through demonstrated compassionate and quality patient care and service, clinical support, or healthcare management,” according to AMSUS. The award was named after the late Maj. Lewis Livingston Seaman, a military surgeon during multiple conflicts, including the Spanish-American War, Balkan Wars, and World War I.

Senior Master Sgt. Ashley Jackson

U.S. Air Force Surgeon General Lt. Gen Robert Miller presented U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Ashley Jackson the Senior Enlisted Lewis L. Seaman Enlisted Award at the 2024 AMSUS Annual Meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, on Feb 12.  

Jackson, former program manager, Air Force Emergency Medical Service, and currently the senior enlisted leader, 375th Healthcare Operations Squadron, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., will be recognized for her achievements with Air Force EMS, where she served as a subject matter expert on the management of national prehospitalization certifications and execution of emergency medical services for the Air Force Surgeon General, 12 major commands, 76 medical treatment facilities, and 297 agencies.

Jackson also drafted and published a prehospital response policy for over 28,000 medics and firefighters, while helping to develop the Defense Department’s first joint EMS protocols, standardizing point of injury/illness treatment for all TRICARE beneficiaries.

Jackson’s demonstration of “service before self and eye for continuous process improvement has enhanced prehospital response and prepared medics for near-peer conflict,” her nomination letter said.

“We work with a phenomenally talented group of individuals across the federal healthcare system, so I am beyond humbled to be selected for this award,” Jackson said. “The fact that it is being bestowed from an organization filled with leaders and peers who have dedicated their lives to advancing healthcare, and ultimately serving others, makes it that much more meaningful.”

Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Palmieri

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nicholas Palmieri was presented with the Junior Enlisted Lewis L. Seaman Enlisted Award during the 2024 AMSUS Annual Meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, on Feb. 12. U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Anthony McQueen, Army Deputy Surgeon General, presented the award along with AMSUS Executive Director and CEO John Cho.

Palmieri, noncommissioned officer in charge, Bassett Army Community Hospital Emergency Department, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, will be recognized for his excellence in leading the Basic Life Support Program, combat medic skills sustainment, two mass casualty training events, and the creation of a dedicated simulation lab in Bassett ACH.

Palmieri answers “each task with gumption,” while “enthusiastically” sharing his knowledge, skills, and experience,” his nomination letter said.

“I’m extremely honored by this recognition,” Palmieri said. “Above-and-beyond care is the standard, and it’s important to always do it selflessly without expecting anything in return.”

Palmieri said he’s passionate about putting people first. “I not only can share my experience and expertise with other service members, but also see the fruits of my labor by watching my Soldiers’ growth and accomplishments.”

Harrell expressed his admiration of medical personnel across DHN Central. “I continue to be incredibly impressed by the exceptional health care professionals within our network and across the Defense Health Agency,” Harrell said. “The AMSUS awards are yet another testament to the team’s talent, expertise, and dedication to safe, quality care.”

“We are extremely fortunate to have these dedicated professionals working for the Defense Health Agency,” added Dr. Brian Lein, assistant director of health care administration. “We can see their unwavering commitment to our beneficiaries through their daily focus on quality, safety, research, leadership and innovation in their given areas of expertise.”

For more information on the award program and a full list of award recipients, visit https://www.amsus.org/professional-development/amsus-awards-program/.