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A truck, a motorcycle and service

Madigan changes commanders

BG Michael Place, BG Dennis LeMaster and Col. Thomas Bundt take a moment to relax. Place relinquished command of the Madigan Army Medical Center to Bundt during a change of command ceremony last Friday at Watkins Field. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

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About 30 years ago, Thomas Bundt was riding his motorcycle when he met a truck. That meeting went in favor of the truck.

Once extracted from the wreckage, he was rushed to Madigan where the doctors worked to rebuild and then bring him back to health.

"Because of the care I got, I can now serve," said Madigan's new commanding officer.

On a picture-perfect Pacific Northwest summer day on Watkins Field, BG Michael Place passed the colors of Madigan's command to Col. Thomas Bundt.  

"What a glorious day," said BG Dennis LeMaster, commanding general, Regional Health Command - Pacific and host of the ceremony, to the formation comprised of soldiers and hospital employees.

Standing in front, and to the right, of LeMaster were approximately 50 civilians, all wearing maroon-colored shirts.

"These individuals are very important," Dr. Rick Jordan, deputy to the commander of quality and safety, had said before the ceremony began.

"They are part of the team."

Approximately 60 percent of the more than 5,200 Madigan staff members are civilians, and LeMaster acknowledged their work.

Madigan is a Level II trauma center and provides care to civilian trauma patients in concert with other area hospitals.  

"Their presence on the field represents the powerful civilian-military team that is the Madigan Army Medical Center, and we could not do what we do without them."

Place, who served for three years as Madigan's commander, will head to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he will assume the duties as the deputy commanding general for Regional Health Command - Pacific.

During his tenure, he led the hospital as it adopted MHS GENESIS, the Department of Defense's new electronic healthcare record-keeping system.  

Place also established the JBLM Center for Autism, Resources and Educational Services and the Intrepid Spirit Center for traumatic brain injury (TBI) care.

Bundt, who has served once before at Madigan, recently was the chief of staff of the Army Medical Department Center and School at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

As Madigan's commander, he will be charged with leading an organization responsible for providing healthcare to more than 100,000 beneficiaries, plus an additional 200,000 eligible beneficiaries in the Puget Sound area.

"I am glad to be here and will serve to the best of my abilities," Bundt said.

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