Each year, the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF), hosts the Heroes of Military Medicine awards in which military medical professionals from the Army, Navy and Air Force are nominated and awarded for their contributions to the advancement of military medicine.
This year military medicine was called to the front lines to fight in the war against the novel Coronavirus that has taken the lives of over three million people worldwide. Lt. Cmdr. Hall’s extraordinary efforts helped to save the lives of countless individuals through the development and refinement of policies protecting the military force and their families.
Lt. Cmdr. Hall currently serves as the Preventative Medicine action officer at the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) in addition to his role as the Public Health Emergency Officer (PHEO) for BUMED and Naval Installations Command.
Within those duties, Lt. Cmdr. Hall oversees the Department of the Navy’s influenza vaccination program and serves as a direct advisor to the Navy Surgeon General for infectious disease vaccination programs. He is a major contributor in the development of infectious disease containment policies and is published in a number of academic medical and operational journals.
His initial work in coordinating logistic and medical policy efforts in the Department of the Navy and across the joint force was instrumental in the successful implementation of the Coronavirus vaccination program. He has conducted numerous Coronavirus contact investigations to mitigate infection rates and overseen outbreak responses at the height of infection.
Lt. Cmdr. Hall continues to be at the forefront of emerging scientific evidence as the Editor-in-Chief of the Navy Surgeon General’s Public Health and Science Update. The update is a weekly publication synthesizing the latest scientific evidence, which continues to impact policy and the health of Service Members and Naval operations.
“I’ve had Lt. Cmdr. Hall on speed dial as my personal advisor,” said Rear Adm. Gillingham. “Despite the challenges and setbacks our world has faced, it is outstanding medical professionals like Lieutenant Commander Hall that give me confidence that we will ultimately triumph over this relentless adversary and that our best days are ahead of us.”
As Lt. Cmdr. Hall accepted his award, he thanked his colleagues and leaders for their vision in direction. Similarly to many front-line workers during the Coronavirus pandemic, Lt. Cmdr. Hall has sacrificed weekends and holidays to get the job done and made a point to thank his wife, Jennifer, for her unwavering support.
“I want to thank Commanders Nick Martin and Tai Do, Capt. Karen Matthews, Mr. David Oliveria, and our Surgeon General Rear Adm. Gillingham,” said Lt. Cmdr. Hall. “Lastly, I want to thank my wife, Jen, who during my long days of working from early morning and into the night, on weekends and holidays, and during long deployments, managed to keep our home together and children cared for. Thank you for that and so much more.”