National Guard Medical Heroes To Receive State's Highest Health Care Service Award

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 24 Jun 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Glen's Falls-Based 466th New York Army National Guard's Area Medical Support Company and Ithaca Physician Colonel Joan Sullivan will Receive the Healthcare Association of New York State's Distinguished Service Award At Times Under Fire, "Citizen Soldiers" Treated Thousands of Wounded, Injured, and Ill Comrades During Duty in Iraq

When: Wednesday, June 25, at 8 p.m.

Where: Bellvue Ballroom, The Sagamore Hotel Conference Center, Bolton Landing, New York

Who: Uniformed members of the 466th will be in attendance to receive the award. Colonel Sullivan, currently deployed overseas, will accept her award via video message from Afghanistan.

Details: Call William Van Slyke, Vice President, Communications, HANYS, at (518) 431-7770.

Hundreds of health care leaders from every corner of the state will converge at The Sagamore on Lake George on Wednesday, June 25 to present their highest award to the New York Army National Guard's 466th Area Medical Support Company and to National Guard Physician Colonel Joan Sullivan for administering lifesaving care to thousands of wounded, injured, and ill soldiers in Iraq.

New York Army National Guard's 466th Area Medical Support Company From October 2006 until September 2007, the 72 soldiers of the Glens Falls-based medical company were responsible for providing immediate medical care in a region stretching from Baghdad to the Kuwait border, an area as big as the state of Pennsylvania. The 466th's primary mission was to provide medical treatment and coverage for the convoys which continually move along the main highway between Baghdad and Kuwait. Operating from four dispersed locations, and often coming under fire while treating casualties, the men and women of the 466th would treat and stabilize patients before moving them on for more advanced care elsewhere.

Colonel Joan Sullivan Born and raised in Long Island, and now hailing from Ithaca, Colonel Sullivan served as division surgeon of the 42nd Infantry Division and was responsible for the health and medical care of 23,000 American soldiers.

Currently, Colonel Sullivan is back in combat once again, as the brigade surgeon for the New York Army National Guard's 27th Brigade Combat Team. Colonel Sullivan's service also included time in New York City after the September 11 attacks monitoring the health of National Guard soldiers on duty around Ground Zero.

http://www.hanys.org