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Col. Barbara Holcomb assumed command of Landstuhl Regional Medical Center during a May 3 ceremony that also honored the service of outgoing commander Col. Jeffrey Clark.
“This is indeed an honor,” Holcomb said. “I’m deeply humbled by the tremendous opportunity to serve as a commander once again, especially at a medical center with the incredible reputation held by Landstuhl.”
That reputation was quickly recognized by one of the first people Holcomb shared the good news with about her new assignment. Along with his congratulations, a fellow Soldier at Human Resources Command at Fort Knox, Ky., told her, “Landstuhl is such an awesome place. They saved several of my Soldiers.”
“That same admiration for the LRMC staff having saved the lives of thousands of America’s sons and daughters, as well as the ill and injured from 51 different coalition partners, runs deeply through many military leaders past and present,” Holcomb said in a packed gymnasium. “After being here just a few days, I certainly understand why, and I will do my absolute best to provide the resources, guidance, training and decisions necessary to maintain the high level of service currently in place.”
That level of service occurred under the leadership of Clark, selected to replace Brig. Gen. Nadja West as commanding general of Europe Regional Medical Command and command surgeon for U.S. Army Europe.
Clark, who has been nominated for promotion to brigadier general, focused on patient-centered health care during his tenure at LRMC. But it was feedback not from a patient he chose to highlight during his speech, but from the mother of two potential patients – her sons deployed to Afghanistan. The mother, a Canadian warrant officer departing LRMC after serving a six-month tour as a personnelist, shared her observation of the LRMC staff with Clark.
“What LRMC does is provide comfort for mothers like me, for I know that if one of my sons is sick or wounded, he will come to Landstuhl.”
LRMC is the largest American hospital outside of the U.S. and the only American tertiary hospital in Europe. LRMC provides primary care, tertiary care, hospitalization and treatment for more than 245,000 U.S. military personnel and their families within European Command. LRMC is also the evacuation and treatment center for all injured U.S. service members and civilians serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.
