A servant's heart: Dr. Mittemeyer remembered for lasting impact on Lubbock, TTUHSC

Dr. Bernhard T. Mittemeyer, who served as Surgeon General for the U.S. Army during the Reagan administration and would later play a critical role as an advocate for veterans around Lubbock, is being remembered for his lasting impact on the nation and the Hub City.

Lt. Gen. Mittemeyer, who served in the United States Army for 28 years, died Jan. 25 at age 92. He was remembered Friday during a memorial service at First United Methodist Church in Lubbock.

During his tenure, President Ronald Reagan appointed him as Surgeon General - the highest-ranking physician in the Army.

During his military career, he was recognized with the Distinguished Service Medal, a Distinguished Flying Cross and a Bronze Star with V Device for Valor.

After his service, Mittemeyer came to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center as a surgery professor and the first executive vice president and provost of the institution, according to a statement from TTUHSC.

"As the university's top leader, one of Dr. Mittemeyer's initial priorities was a public awareness campaign to promote the university and its potential for advancing health care both in the region and statewide as well as being an economic driver for our campus communities," reads the statement.

Mittemeyer also helped establish and served as the chief of the Division of Urology - later named the Department of Urology. The university in 2009 named the urology clinic after him.

Among his many titles over the course of four decades, Mittemeyer also served as the interim dean of the School of Medicine three times.

According to Lubbock Avalanche-Journal archives, Mittemeyer was one of four retired physicians who came together to form a 16-person board to improve veteran healthcare in Lubbock.

More:Serving those who served: Lubbock's new VA clinic unveiled ahead of opening

The board came back with the recommendation that a new location for the VA clinic was needed, preferably closer to TTUHSC, according to the story.

“This is a token to our veterans, it’s an honor to them,” Mittemeyer said in 2019 during the groundbreaking ceremony for the clinic. “When they drive by it, they’ll say, ‘That’s my clinic.’ It won’t be in some local area where nobody even knows what the building is. It represents the value and the commitment to our veterans.”

The clinic on 4th Street opened in May 2021 with Mittemeyer in attendance at the ceremony.

TTUHSC will host a Celebration of Life in his honor from 3 to 5 p.m. March 22 at the Academic Event Center on the campus.

"Beyond his titles, accomplishments, and service, Dr. Mittemeyer valued people," reads the TTUHSC statement. "He often commented that people's skills and compassion are crucial to quality health care."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Dr. Mittemeyer remembered for lasting impact on Lubbock, TTUHSC