Women’s History Month: ‘Women’s Who Have Made Great Achievements in Medicine’

Women’s History Month, observed during March, honors the achievements of women, both past and present, who have helped build and mold culture and society. The Department of Defense’s (DOD) theme for this year’s observance is “Women Who Have Made Great Achievements.”

At Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) and its predecessors — the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) and Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) — there is no shortage of women in military medical history who have made great achievements in the advancement of health care.

The Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) establishes DOD’s annual theme for its special observances and awareness events. DEOMI officials explain this year’s Women’s History Month theme is “in recognition of the countless contributions women have made towards creating a positive opportunity for a brighter future. A powerful driving force for excellence resides within each of us and, when unleashed, can lead to significant personal or professional growth. What unlocks this driving force may differ from person to person, and DOD is committed to providing a range of opportunities for all military and civilian personnel to excel. In celebration of Women’s History Month, DOD honors these pioneers of the past and recognizes their unique contributions, while creating new opportunities for women of the future.”
Regarding women in health care, Military Health System (MHS) officials agree. They state, “For centuries, women have made heroic and historic contributions on the front lines of military medicine — even as history often denied them rank, uniform, and recognition. [In military medicine], female pioneers devoted their lives and talents to the health of our warfighters — in the face of restrictions against them — as well as today’s trailblazers who continue to serve, innovate, and inspire military health efforts worldwide,” MHS officials added.

A number of these trailblazing women are serving or have served at WRNMMC and/or its predecessors, and during this month, Walter Reed celebrates some of these women, as well as those who worked and continue to work behind the scenes with little recognition for their contributions to the care of the nation’s warfighters and their families. The journeys of those women inspire and help set the course for future generations.

Navy Capt. (Dr.) Melissa Austin

On July 5, 2023, U.S. Navy Capt. (Dr.) Melissa Austin became the first woman director of WRNMMC when she assumed the helm of the medical center, also called the “flagship of military medicine.”

“To whom much is given, much is required,” said Austin upon taking leadership of Walter Reed.

The daughter of a career Army officer, Austin graduated from Vanderbilt University with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering. She also earned her commission through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) in 1996 and then spent seven years in the surface warfare community before earning her medical degree from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. She completed her residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at the University of Washington Medical Center.

Austin joined the Walter Reed team after serving as the first commanding officer of the Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, a command that was previously a NMRTC under Bethesda. She previously served as the executive officer, NMRTC Portsmouth; deputy director, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth; and as the commanding officer for Expeditionary Medical Facility Juliet.

Candice Jones-Cox

Dr. Candice Jones-Cox joined the U.S. Army as a gynecological surgeon in 2007. For more than a decade, Jones-Cox dedicated herself to specializing in women’s reproductive health in the U.S. Army. She then joined the Walter Reed team where she made history on March 17, 2023, as the first surgeon in DOD to perform a revolutionary robotics surgery for hysterectomy patients called vNotes, which stands for vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery. Using vNotes, the recovery time, discomfort, and hospital stays of patients are greatly reduced.

She is now the director of Women’s Health Services at Walter Reed, where she is dedicated to empowering her patients who face life-changing medical decisions.

Rebecca Bieber, Au.D., Ph.D.

In 2022, the MHS also recognized Rebecca Bieber, Au.D., Ph.D., a research audiologist with the National Military Audiology and Speech Center at Walter Reed with top honors in the 2022 MHS Research Symposium: Young Investigators Competition. Her research focused on “Evaluating the Impacts of Hearing Protection on Fire Team Lethality, Survivability, Communication, and Mission Success in Dismounted Combat.” Her work collected new data by evaluating and monitoring diverse types of exercises with various hearing protections, which can help lead to better hearing protection on the battlefield.

Navy Capt. (Dr.) Kelly Elmore

Also in 2022, Navy Capt. (Dr.) Kelly Elmore became chief of staff at Walter Reed. Prior to that, the board-certified OB/GYN made history by becoming the first African American female, interim Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Naval Medical Center San Diego. San Diego Magazine also recognized her as the Military Woman of the Year in 2021.

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Elmore graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree from Xavier University of Louisiana. She earned her medical degree from The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and her master’s degree in business administration from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California.

In discussing becoming a women physician and advice she passes along to future generations, Elmore said, “You can be whatever you put your mind to. If it’s in your heart, you stay focused and dedicated, you can not only be a physician, but you can have a wonderful fulfilling career and make a positive impact in many lives,” she said.

The next article saluting women in medicine who served at Walter Reed focuses on those from the recent past, but whose impact and inspiration are still felt by those who they provided care and others.