Walter Reed Hosts 'One Team' Org Day to Celebrate Staff

Behind every appointment, surgery and mission at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is a team of service members, civilians and contractors working together in support of patient care and readiness. On Sept. 18, that team will step away from the demands of the workday to reconnect, recharge and celebrate one another as Organizational (Org) Day returns with its focus on morale, appreciation and connection.

"As healthcare workers, we know that burnout and stress levels are high, and with everything going on in the world, it is important that we remember to have fun too," said U.S. Navy Lt. Lauren Hayes, one of the event organizers. "We wanted to bring something people would look forward to as a break from their normal routine, have some fun and lean on each other for support."

This year's theme, "One Team," reflects the collaboration that takes place every day across Walter Reed and the unique nature of military medicine, where personnel regularly arrive, transition and move on to new assignments while the mission continues.

"We wanted to make sure we held it early enough so Capt. Austin could celebrate with the team she has led so passionately," Hayes said.

For U.S. Navy Capt. Melissa Austin, hospital director, the event is a reminder of the people and relationships behind Walter Reed's mission.

"Walter Reed's name represents more than a century of service to our warfighters and their families, and every day this team builds on that legacy," Austin said. "Earlier this year, we received a palpable reminder of the outsized role Walter Reed plays in caring for our nation's heroes, and this team was ready when the need arose. Org Day is our chance to stop and celebrate each other and our shared mission."

That legacy begins with the hospital's namesake, whose birthday Org Day has historically honored each September. Born Sept. 13, 1851, in Gloucester County, Virginia, Maj. Walter Reed led the U.S. Army team that in 1900 confirmed yellow fever is spread by mosquitoes, a discovery that advanced the field of epidemiology and made completion of the Panama Canal possible. Reed died in 1902 after surgery for a ruptured appendix and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

More than a century later, the celebration that carries his name brings the whole campus together with games, food and live performances, with activities reaching every corner of the hospital and every shift. "We want everyone who is at Walter Reed to participate," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Delia Amadiz, who is helping lead the event.

"We want everyone to feel included, supported and acknowledged," Hayes added.

For the organizing team, success looks like staff leaving with a renewed sense of pride in the people around them. "Walter Reed would not run without great teamwork," Hayes said. "Everyone is just as important as the person next to them. Sometimes that gets lost in such a huge organization, so it's nice to have events like this to remind people that they are seen and appreciated."

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