S. Ward Casscells
Encyclopedia
From April 2007 through April 2009, he served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) where he was credited with turning around a struggling $45B health and education system with 137,000 employees and 10 million patients in 900 clinics and hospitals in 100 countries. The system is now #1 in most surveys of patient satisfaction.
For this work, Dr Casscells received the United States Department of Defence's highest civilian award, the Distinguished Public Service Medal, the Surgeon General's Medallion from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Army's Decoration for Distinguished Civilian Service, and the Order of Military Medical Merit.
Government Executive magazine said of him, "Many Defense leaders say they pay attention to the troops and don't. Casscells does...he is a leader who walks the walk...making rounds at military hospitals… [continuing his policy] would serve the troops well."
Dr. Casscells received his undergraduate education from Yale College
Yale College
Yale College was the official name of Yale University from 1718 to 1887. The name now refers to the undergraduate part of the university. Each undergraduate student is assigned to one of 12 residential colleges.-Residential colleges:...
and then studied at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
where he graduated magna cum laude. He trained in medicine and cardiology at Beth Israel, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital is the largest hospital of the Longwood Medical and Academic Area in Boston, Massachusetts. It is directly adjacent to Harvard Medical School of which it is the second largest teaching affiliate with 793 beds...
, and Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
s, the Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, which is next to Harvard Medical School. HSPH is considered a significant school focusing on health in the...
, National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
, and Scripps Research Institute. His publications have been in the areas of prevention of heart attack and stroke, information technology, medical ethics, influenza, disaster preparedness, nanotechnology, and healthcare management. He also speaks publicly about living with cancer.
An inventor and founder of several companies, including Volcano Corporation, he has served on numerous civic, corporate, and professional boards. He has been elected to a number of honorary societies. His work in mobile telemedicine and disaster response earned him the General Maxwell R. Thurman Award
General Maxwell R. Thurman Award
The General Maxwell R. Thurman Award is awarded on behalf of the commanding general of the United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command at the American Telemedicine Association annual conference in recognition of someone who exhibits and demonstrates the following qualities and...
, the Department of Health and Human Service’s Best Public Health Practice Award, and the Memorial Hermann Health System's Hero Award.
His recent book, "When It Mattered Most," a tribute to medics killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, was termed by Newsweek's Evan Thomas, "a noble work."
He, his wife, and three children are former Texans currently living in Washington, DC.
History
The Honorable S. Ward Casscells III is a former Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs). Sworn in on 16 April 2007, Secretary Casscells administered the $45 billion Military Health SystemMilitary Health System
The Military Health System is the enterprise within the United States Department of Defense responsible for providing health care to active duty and retired U.S. Military personnel and their dependents...
(MHS) and was principal advisor to the United States Secretary of Defense
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
for health issues. The MHS comprises over 130,000 military and civilian doctors, nurses, medical educators, researchers, and healthcare providers worldwide providing our nation with an unequaled deployable medical and research capability.
Dr. Casscells was honored at a retirement dinner on 28 April 2009 with great fanfare. Speakers included members of Congress, foreign dignitaries, the Surgeons General of from all branches of the armed forces, and a number of video messages and tributes including messages from the media and Iraqi and Afghan military health leaders, with whom Casscells is credited as having built substantive diplomatic relationships.
Dr. Casscell's currently serves as the John Edward Tyson Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Public Health, and Vice President for External Affairs and Public Policy, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston as well as Senior Scholar at the Texas Heart Institute.
His friends refer to him by a number of nicknames, including "Doc," "Ward," and "Trip."
Dr. Casscells, despite some health issues and relatively advanced age, enlisted in the Army Reserve and holds the rank of Colonel. He served on active duty in Iraq.
Dr. Casscells is credited with strengthening the MHS by an optimistic insistence on teamwork, innovation and accountability for quality of care (exemplified by his unannounced bedside rounds on 5 continents), by his energetic focus on transparent communication, and by advocating for the concept of medicine as a national resource to promote peace.
He led the recovery from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center was the United States Army's flagship medical center until 2011. Located on 113 acres in Washington, D.C., it served more than 150,000 active and retired personnel from all branches of the military...
shortfalls in 2007, making the system the best in prevention, trauma, safety, ethics, satisfaction, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) research and care, diversity, and disaster response. With the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
’s strategic partner the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
(VA), he helped make the warrior disability evaluation system fairer and faster. To improve their electronic health records he championed interoperability with the VA and the United States Department of Health and Human Services
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
(HHS) and held personnel and vendors accountable.
He built bridges to the VA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
(CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
(NIH), United States Agency for International Development
United States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
(USAID), World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO), Non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
s (NGO’s), and medical leaders in 120 countries. He boosted professional publications by 48%, fought for (and won) funds for green, patient-centered hospitals, PTSD research and care, humanitarian assistance, and stem cell
Stem cell
This article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
research, and stewarded $84 billion in health care funds without protest, restoring trust with 9 million DoD beneficiaries, and millions in countries who increasingly see American troops as a force for good.
A leader known for fierce dedication to his patients, staff and students, Dr. Casscells previously served as the John Edward Tyson Distinguished Professor of Medicine (Cardiology
Cardiology
Cardiology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the heart . The field includes diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology...
) and Public Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. As the Director of Clinical Research at the Texas Heart Institute, his clinical practice and research programs (with James T. Willerson, MD) focused on prevention of heart attack and stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
, and with Dr. Mohammad Madjid, was the first to identify influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
as a trigger of heart attack. Dr. Casscells was a founder of the Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging Research (CABIR) at U.T/M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. With Dr. Rick Smalley he founded the Alliance for NanoHealth to promote safe nanobiotechnology
Nanobiotechnology
Bionanotechnology, nanobiotechnology, and nanobiology are terms that refer to the intersection of nanotechnology and biology. Given that the subject is one that has only emerged very recently, bionanotechnology and nanobiotechnology serve as blanket terms for various related technologies.This...
. After 9/11 he led forums for thoughtful bio/chem/nuclear defense. As a United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
reservist, he developed the Army's pandemic
Pandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
plan, then led US efforts to rebuild Iraq's health sector, deploying to Iraq despite undergoing chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
. A leader in disaster medicine
Disaster medicine
Disaster medicine is the area of physician medical specialization serving the dual areas of providing medical care to disaster survivors and providing medically related disaster preparation, disaster planning, disaster response and disaster recovery leadership throughout the disaster life cycle...
, and pandemic preparedness, Dr. Casscells has been a first responder and medical coordinator during Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Peru Earthquakes, and other disaster situations. In 2002 he was named “Hero of the Flood” by the Memorial Hermann Hospital
Memorial Hermann Hospital
Memorial Hermann Healthcare System is the largest not-for-profit hospital system in Houston, Texas, and consists of 11 hospitals, 7 Cancer Centers, 3 Heart & Vascular Institutes, and 27 sports medicine and rehabilitation centers, in addition to other outpatient and rehabilitation centers. It was...
for his work on the front lines of Tropical Storm Allison.
His many awards include the Army Meritorious Service Award, Joint Commendation Award, The General Maxwell Thurman Award, the Distinguished Public Service Medal from the Uniformed Services University, the Public Health Service Surgeon General's Medallion and an Emmy. He also recently released a book entitled "When It Mattered Most" dedicated to the fallen medical personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In addition to his service on educational, scientific, and charitable boards such as the Prostate Cancer Foundation
Prostate Cancer Foundation
The Prostate Cancer Foundation , formerly known as CaP CURE, is the world’s largest philanthropic source of support for prostate cancer research. PCF was founded in 1993 in order to discover better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer...
, Dr. Casscells was a director of the Volcano Corporation, Lifeline Systems (now Philips) and Spectracell, Inc, and an advisor to GE Healthcare, Roche, Pfizer, Lilly, Claritas, RediClincs, and Glaxo. From 1985 to 1991, he served in the Cardiology Branch at the National Institutes of Health, followed by a sabbatical year at the Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute is an American medical research facility that focuses on research in the basic biomedical sciences. Headquartered in La Jolla, California, with a sister facility in Jupiter, Florida, the institute is home to 3,000 scientists, technicians, graduate students, and...
of Medicine and Science in La Jolla, California, working under Nobel Laureate Roger Guillemin
Roger Guillemin
Roger Charles Louis Guillemin received the National Medal of Science in 1976, and the Nobel prize for medicine in 1977 for his work on neurohormones, sharing the prize that year with Andrew Schally and Rosalyn Sussman Yalow.Completing his undergraduate work at the University of Burgundy, Guillemin...
, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Casscells joined the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston was created by the UT System Board of Regents and supported by the Texas Legislature in 1972...
in 1992. From 1994 to 2000 he served as the Levy Professor and Chief of Cardiology at UT-Houston Medical School and Memorial Hermann Hospital
Memorial Hermann Hospital
Memorial Hermann Healthcare System is the largest not-for-profit hospital system in Houston, Texas, and consists of 11 hospitals, 7 Cancer Centers, 3 Heart & Vascular Institutes, and 27 sports medicine and rehabilitation centers, in addition to other outpatient and rehabilitation centers. It was...
.
A native of Wilmington, DE, he received the B.S. in Biology (cum laude) from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1974, and the M.D. (magna cum laude) from Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
in 1979. His residency in medicine was conducted at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts is a major flagship teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. It was formed out of the 1996 merger of Beth Israel Hospital and New England Deaconess Hospital...
Hospital and Harvard Community Health Plan, with a cardiology fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
, and a Kaiser Fellowship in clinical epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, which is next to Harvard Medical School. HSPH is considered a significant school focusing on health in the...
. Dr. Casscells is married with three children.
External links
Articles
- "Casting the 'Net for a Replacement", by Bob Brewin, NextGov. February 19, 2009.
- “Soft Power with Guns”, by Peter Buxbaum, International Relations and Security Network- Security Watch. January 16, 2009.
- “Culture War”, by Bob Brewin. Government Executive Magazine. January 12, 2009.
- "Health Chief Discusses AHLTA, Other Issues", by Jerry Harben - Mercury News. January 2009.
- "Health Care Champion: An Interview with S. Ward Casscells, M.D. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs", by Chaz Vossburg - Military Medical Technology. December 2008.
- “Healing Environments for America’s Heroes”, by Michelle Ossmann, Clay Boenecke, Barbara Dellinger. Healthcare Design Magazine. November 2008.
- “Walking the Deck”, by Bob Brewin. Government Executive Magazine. September 2008.
- “Engine of Innovation: US Healthcare from Military to Private Sector", by Divya Sood. Future Healthcare Magazine. 3Q 2008.
- “Agencies Dispatch Health Care Workers; Mission Responds To PTSD” Audrey Hudson. The Washington Times. June 5, 2008.
- "A Lion in Autumn: How a middle-aged doctor wound up on the battlefield in Iraq", by Evan Thomas. Newsweek. November 19, 2007.
- “Delaware Native Comes To Military Career Late But Ascends To Top”, By Nicole Gaudiano. Gannett News Service. March 28, 2007.
- “Swiftly Confirm: Wartime Pentagon Needs A Top Health Official, and Houston's Ward Casscells Is Right Man for the Job” (Editorial). Houston Chronicle. March 27, 2007.
- “Delaware Native On Call For Veterans Health Crisis” By Nicole Gaudiano. Gannett News Service
- “Bush To Nominate Houston Doctor To Defense Health Affairs Post” By Todd Ackerman. The Houston Chronicle. February 24, 2007.
- “Walter Reed Stories Factual But Unfair, Medical Chief Says” Steve Vogel. Washington Post. February 23, 2007.
- “U.S. Aims To Grow Ears, Skin For War Wounds” Kristin Roberts. Reuters. April 18, 2008.
- “Departments Of Defense And Veterans Affairs Working Together” The Montgomery Advertiser. December 27, 2007.
- “State Gears Up To Screen Combat Stress” Philip Dine. The Pantagraph. December 26, 2007.
- “Faux Candidate Ranks High In Poll” Ralph Z. Hallow. The Washington Times. September 26, 2007.
- “Casscells Returns from Tour of Duty”, Heart Wire. February 1, 2007.
- “Mourning a doctor who improved Iraq” by Col. S. Ward Casscells, Stars and Stripes Mideast edition. January 27, 2007.
- “Pentagon Official Praises Staff For Hospital's Recovery” Wire Reports. Fort Worth Star-Telegram
- "A Parable to Help Make Sense of Iraq" Col. S. Ward Casscells. Houston Chronicle. November 26, 2006.
- "Iraq: The Old Chevy" Col. S. Ward Casscells. Stars and Stripes. November 7, 2006.
- "World Renowned Doctor Trades Lab Coat for Uniform", by Elaine Wilson. Army News Service. February 8, 2006.