Naval Hospital Rota Celebrates Full Circle Moment in Partnership with DoDEA Community

Story by Lt.Cmdr. Alicia Sacks

U.S. Naval Hospital Rota

ROTA, Spain- Recently, Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Rota joined forces with David Glasgow Farragut (DGF) Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Middle and High School to offer the areas first-ever mobile sports rodeo. A sports rodeo provides students a streamlined way to complete their routine physicals to ensure they can safely participate in school and extracurricular activities. The partnership between NMRTC and Rota DoDEA supports the timely delivery of essential health promotion and wellness programming for service members and their families. Fostering these connections and collaborative relationships supports early interventions for health issues, while improving access to care for the community

During this event, the hospital provided students the opportunity to complete a tailored physical assessment, in addition to obtaining vaccinations and health promotion education. Planning for the event involved a multidisciplinary team including NMRTC and DoDEA nurses, Navy Corpsmen, medical providers, quality management, and patient administration all working together to ensure delivery of care to more than 120 students.

Interacting with students and educators, in their environment, provided a unique opportunity for the NMRTC Primary Care healthcare team to bolster connections and offer a more relaxed setting for pediatric care delivery.

It was no coincidence Hospitalman Callum Wilkerson, a Corpsman working in the Medical Home Port Clinic, and a graduate from DGF Middle/High School in 2019 was assigned to support the event. Upon entering the gym, the school basketball coach instantly recognized his former student embracing Wilkerson with a handshake and smile.

“It didn’t surprise me that Callum became a Corpsman. He was always willing to help people and had the biggest heart,” said Ben Anderson, one of DGF Middle/High School coaches. “He was a big part of the program that to this day instills a culture of excellence and gratitude.”

Wilkerson’s military connection goes deep as his father retired from the United States Air Force as a Master Sergeant in 2015. “Graduating from Rota was a great experience. It feels like just yesterday I was wearing the basketball uniform,” he said. “Coming back as Active Duty has really shown me to appreciate the experiences that you have growing up. It’s a surreal feeling reconnecting with my roots and being able to serve the people that shaped me into who I am today.”

Collaboration between Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) and school communities is crucial. The recent event also included Military Family Life Counselors, and various hospital departments to include Preventive Medicine, Audiology, Physical Therapy, and the Obstetrics and Gynecology clinic. Strengthening these connections remains crucial for addressing health challenges faced by military families and supporting well-being in our diverse communities. “We were excited to see so many members of the medical community participating, even the hospital’s director, Captain William Scouten volunteered his time. This event enhanced the sense of community and improved accessibility for our families,” shared Dr. Wanda Bradley, Principal DGF Middle High School.

NMRTC Rota Director for Public Health, Cmdr. Jenny Paul commented, “I love the opportunities we have to engage with our beneficiaries across the installation. Activities like this sports rodeo demonstrate that we are accessible, innovative, and ready to bring care to anyone, in any setting.”

NMRTC Rota serves as a force multiplier in Navy Medicine’s strategic global medical support mission throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East while also supporting operational readiness and maintaining a strategic repository of expertise at the Naval Hospital Rota Military Training Facility within the Iberian Peninsula.

Navy Medicine is represented by more than 44,000 highly-trained military and civilian health care professionals – provides enduring expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below, and above the sea, and ashore.