Initial Outfitting Support to Military Health Facilities

U.S. Army Medical Department Activity opened the Ireland Army Health Clinic at Fort Knox, Kentucky, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 21, 2020. For the LMI team that contributed to the initial outfitting and transition (IO&T) of the clinic, the ceremony was also a homecoming.

Project manager Richard Carnes, clinical transition planner Deb Savage, and logistician Mike Franklin all served at the predecessor facility, Ireland Army Community Hospital (IACH), during their respective Army tenures. Their expertise and familiarity ensured deadlines were met—and ribbons were cut on time.

“Almost everybody on our team has a military background,” said Sandra Keesee, a former Air Force officer who has served as project manager for other Department of Defense initial outfitting projects. “With a perspective of how the military works and a professional approach to program management, customers know what to expect from us.”

Keesee, who provided quality management support to the Fort Knox team, said Carnes also brought a valuable perspective as a biomedical equipment technician. “He knew the equipment, and the requirements, he had a lot of good working relationships,” she said.

“It’s easier to work with the customer and understand their equipment needs with that background,” said Carnes, a first sergeant at IACH from 2015 to 2017. He was responsible for the daily operation of the medical company and the clinical training and readiness of over 300 personnel. “A lot of the military and civilian folks I knew were still there.”

That comfort level allowed Carnes to make bold decisions to keep the project on schedule, like beginning installation of 8,500 pieces of furniture, fixtures, and medical equipment while construction continued elsewhere in the 101,000-square-foot facility. Six months of outfitting was completed in three. “We had multiple vendors on site at the same time and we worked with the general contractor to ensure outfitting did not interfere with what they were doing,” he said.

For two years, LMI supported the IO&T effort as a partner in Walsh Healthcare Logistics, a joint venture with Walsh Construction LLC and Genesis Planning, on behalf of the Health Facility Planning Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. More than 250 staff members have transitioned into the new facility, which serves a population of almost 35,000 soldiers, family members, civilians, and retirees.

Moving from IAHC’s older, larger complex to the state-of-the-art clinic presented requirements unique from IO&T efforts LMI has supported in Texas and Maryland. With the ribbon cutting in the rear view, Keesee is working with the Defense Logistics Agency’s Disposition Services to relocate the replaced equipment and materiel. Disposition Services makes excess or redundant materiel available for reuse within the Defense Department, transfer to other federal agencies, or donation to qualified organizations.

“LMI’s understanding of the military health system ensures efficiency in every phase,” said Audra Upchurch, director of infrastructure, energy, and environment. “I am so proud of our team and our partners for getting Army Ireland Health Clinic operational on schedule and ready to serve its community.”