New commander takes over at William Beaumont Army Medical Center at Fort Bliss
William Beaumont Army Medical Center has a new commander.
Army Col. Lee Freeman, 49, a 25-year Army veteran, took control of the Fort Bliss Army hospital during a change of command ceremony Thursday morning outside the new Beaumont complex in East El Paso.
His wife, also an Army officer, watched online from Iraq, where she's deployed.
He replaces Army Col. Brett Venable, who became Beaumont commander July 16, 2021, five days after the new, $1.5 billion medical complex opened after years of construction delays and millions of dollars of cost overruns. It's at 18511 Highlander Medics St., near Spur 601 and Loop 375.
The Army usually changes Beaumont commanders every two years.
The commander oversees a medical complex, which includes the 135-bed hospital, clinics and other facilities, with an annual budget of about $370 million and about 4,000 employees, including about 1,500 military personnel. The commander also serves as director of the Defense Health Agency's El Paso Market.
“Over the past two years, this medical center has faced unprecedented change, unique missions, and formidable challenges,” Venable said during Thursday’s ceremony.
He rattled off a long list of things that happened during his short tenure, including the move from the old Beaumont in North-Central El Paso, the surge in COVID-19 cases in the winter of 2021, and what he termed the hospital’s “water advisory.” That’s when the hospital’s water system had to be shut down for about a month in April and May of 2022 due to a valve failure that caused the system to be contaminated with sediment.
The water system was fixed at a cost of $1.13 million.
“Through it all, you, the Beaumont staff showed nothing but resolve. Regardless of the task, you always ride to the challenge,” Venable said.
During Venable’s tenure, Beaumont had a 95.9% patient satisfaction score in a recent survey, the best in the Defense Health Agency, and also had its best results ever for an accreditation survey done by the Joint Commission, a national organization that sets and measures health care standards for hospitals, Army Brig. Gen. Darrin Cox, commanding general of the Army Medical Readiness Command, West, which includes Beaumont, said at the ceremony.
Venable, his wife and young son are moving to San Antonio, where he will be Cox’s chief of staff.
More: $759M El Paso VA Medical Center to be built next to William Beaumont Army Medical Center
Freeman is moving from Louisiana, where he was deputy commanding officer of the Army Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Johnson, recently renamed from Fort Polk. Prior to that, he was commander of Fort Johnson's 32nd Hospital Center, which operates combat field hospitals.
Freeman's wife, Army Col. Rose Freeman, is currently commander of the 32nd Hospital Center, which in February deployed to Iraq. The couple have five children.
The new Beaumont commander saluted his wife, whom he said he talked with shortly before the ceremony from Iraq, where she was watching on Facebook Live.
"To the soldiers, civilians and professionals of William Beaumont Army Medical Center ... I am humbled beyond measure for this opportunity to serve alongside you. I look forward in sharing in our continued success and growth," Freeman said. He also praised Venable for his accomplishments at Beaumont.
“All policies remain in effect, winning matters, Army medicine is Army strong and first to care," Freeman concluded.
Vic Kolenc may be reached at 915-546-6421, vkolenc@elpasotimes.com and @vickolenc on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: William Beaumont Army Medical Center at Fort Bliss gets new commander
