Blanchfield Army Community Hospital — Updated
Fort Campbell, KY – Col. Vincent B. Myers is scheduled to assume duties as U.S. Army Medical Department Activity Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and Blanchfield Army Community Hospital Commanding Officer from Col. Patrick T. Birchfield during a change of command ceremony on June 28th, 2021.
A Harrison, Tennessee native, Birchfield will report to U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, where he will serve as Command Surgeon. During his assignment at BACH, the medical team achieved a number of significant accomplishments but the greatest challenge came from the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic.
“No one could have predicted that this command or any command across the Defense Health Agency would experience a global health crisis and the uncertainty that accompanied it,” said Birchfield. “It was an honor to watch the talented officers, NCOs, Soldiers, and BACH civilian team members work collectively to plan and execute our COVID response to support each of the myriad situations we dealt with during the pandemic.”
Birchfield and the team worked closely with 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell leaders throughout the pandemic to help contain the spread of the virus and effectively treat the patient population while supporting Soldier readiness. They conducted regular virtual town halls to keep the community up-to-date on the ever-changing conditions as the pandemic evolved.
“It was a privilege to work with devoted leaders who were willing to listen to and support our medical recommendations to protect our community, the 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell Soldiers, retirees, family members, and our civilian workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Birchfield.
While the pandemic consumed much of the time, the team still continued to respond to other patient care needs and readiness matters, achieving some of the highest medical readiness rates for more than 24,000 Soldiers on Fort Campbell.
Within the hospital’s own formation, BACH Soldiers were the top in the U.S. Army Medical Command in executing rigorous, realistic readiness training in support of the required Individual Critical Task Lists, Army Combat Fitness Test, Warrior Tasks and Battle Drills, and Leader Professional Development.
In April, the Surgeon General of the Army recognized Blanchfield at the inaugural semi-annual training brief as the number one unit for readiness and training in the MEDCOM.
BACH staff demonstrated its commitment to quality and safety during the 2019 Joint Commission triennial review for hospital accreditation, achieving the gold seal.
“This command is definitely much different than I envisioned. However, it is one to remember and one I am grateful to have served as the hospital and medical activity commander during this pandemic,” said Birchfield.
Myers most recently served as the Chief of Staff and Military Deputy for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs at The Pentagon. He holds a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Strategic Studies. Throughout his career, Col. Myers served in a variety of leadership, broadening, and clinical roles.
The change of command begins at 1:00pm at Cole Park Commons, June 28th.
Media and others are invited to watch the live stream on Blanchfield Army Community Hospital’s YouTube Channel using the following link: www.youtube.com/c/bachpao
The ceremony may also be viewed live or watched later on the Blanchfield Army Community Hospital Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BACH.Fort.Campbell
