2021 Advisory Board Provider Seat Candidate: Maj Ricardo Aldahondo, MBA, CMRP

Ricardo A. Aldahondo, Maj, USAF, MSC, CMRP

Current Operations Officer
Air Force Medical Operations Center
Washington, DC

View Candidate Flyer

 

Describe why you are a good candidate for this leadership role.

I began my career in healthcare from the bottom-up, and in doing so have been humbled with the opportunities to serve as a healthcare Executive, Commander, Operations Officer and Action Officer. My history as a servant leader and dedicated professional has led me to successfully serve as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Logistics Officer and Chief Readiness Officer at the facility level. My 9-years at the facility level were paramount to my development into a healthcare executive. Understanding the needs of, and being able to successfully adjust my approach to, our clinical and administrative professionals has been key to being a successful change agent in the healthcare industry.

In my current position, I serve as a medical operations advisor and liaison to the Air Force Surgeon General at the Pentagon. My time in this position has strengthened my strategic and C-suite skills, while also challenging me to tackle problem sets, write policies and serve on planning teams on a global scale on behalf of our presidential appointees. My deployment to support Craig Joint Theater Hospital in Afghanistan was truly a blessing, because if it wasn’t for the medical and supply chain professional’s working day-and-night, we would not have been able to sustain our 98% combat survivability rate.

I find the field of healthcare administration and management naturally rewarding because our successes result in caring for those in need, while also supporting and representing our local communities. Medical facilities in rural, suburban, urban or austere environments all require knowledgeable supply chain professionals who can support their provider care teams with adequate supplies and equipment, at the best value.

I am an innovator and a leader who will always bring fresh ideas to the table, to assist the Chair, the Commander, and the CEO make the best, and most informed decision he/she can make at the time. I have the natural ability to motivate others around me to do their very best, while mentoring others to the betterment of the organization and themselves. I am proud to serve our great nation, and I am honored to apply to be your next Advisory Board member.

Describe where you see health care evolving, and what you see supply chain’s role being in those future models.

As science, technologies and laws continue to evolve, so must the healthcare industry in order to adapt and provide the best care to our communities, at the best value possible. The supply chain’s role must be to lead that change by being aware of, and anticipate this future change by networking and by being affiliated with organizations such as AHRMM.

AHRMM is positioned to assist our nation’s supply chain professionals as it navigates and adapts to changes in science, technologies and laws. For example, AHRMM played a pivotal role in disseminating updates and best practices throughout the COVID-19 crisis. AHRMM did a phenomenal job by utilizing its 2020 virtual annual conference and exhibition as a way to solicit and share those best practices with the nation.

In the future, our nation will continue to face man-made and natural disasters that will greatly impact public health and our communities. We must keep our supply chain professionals informed and prepared to expect and respond to the problems of tomorrow.

I do not believe our adversaries will stop at hacking American gas pipelines, government agencies or our personal computers. I believe our healthcare industry will inevitably be at risk of exploitation by foreign actors. Additionally, as technology continues to evolve, so must the security surrounding those advances because our patients place their lives and their trust in our hands. The question isn’t if there will be another global pandemic, but the question is when and will we be prepared.

As a supply chain professional, we are the advocate and facilitator of change in our healthcare organizations, and coupled with AHRMM, our nation can successfully prepare for and meet the challenges of tomorrow.

How will your leadership and vision strengthen AHRMM? Share your thoughts, making sure to touch upon the following: AHRMM’s mission, strategy map, the future of health care supply chain, and the CQO movement.

My leadership and participation in the AHRMM Board of Advisors will compliment and support our vision of advancing the health care industry through supply chain excellence, our mission to provide an avenue for supply chain professionals to access education, leadership, and advocacy, and our five values, into the future.

I believe AHRMM’s strategy map does a phenomenal job articulating our organization’s strategic importance to our national supply chain professionals. Throughout my career as a healthcare professional, developing yourself and those around you is paramount to the success of our organizations and the betterment of patient care. Our three lines of effort, Development, Voice and Impact, have been inherent in my career as a member of the Military Health System. I truly believe that increasing our membership, offering professional education opportunities and continuous engagement, will promote our organization as the industry’s premiere medical supply chain affiliation. Investing in our young professionals is a pivotal role that I believe supports the development and integration of our future leaders.

As a proven servant leader, coupled with my dedicated healthcare and professional expertise, I believe I would be the perfect candidate to serve as an AHRMM Advisory Board member. I have a desire to grow our military and civilian AHRMM membership, I have a desire to promote and invest in our young professionals, and I have a desire to maximize AHRMM’s potential to better position our supply chain professionals to face the issues and successes of tomorrow.

We can all succeed and face the challenges of tomorrow, with the help of AHRMM, its membership and its representation in our nation’s health care supply chain industry.

 

Background

Active member of AHRMM for 2 year(s) (Total number of years as AHRMM member 2)

Years in healthcare: 12

Years worked in the healthcare supply chain profession: 2

Years worked in current position: 3

Number of direct reports: 17 Air Force Major Commands globally

Number of employees in your department: 44,000 medical professionals globally

 

Describe your current position and responsibilities:

I am the Chief of Current Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force Medical Operations Center, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. In this role, I serve as the Department of the Air Force Surgeon General’s primary advisor and liaison between Department of the Air Force, Joint Staff and Defense Health Agency officials on global medical operations and medical intelligence. I also serve as the Air Force Surgeon General’s 24-hour crisis action team leader, quickly establishing unity of effort and strategic action planning in response to man-made and natural disasters. Prior to this current assignment, I served in multiple medical operational, executive and command level assignments throughout United States Central, European, Indo-Pacific, Northern and Southern Commands.

I have organized and led over 92 general officer medical operations and medical laydown briefings, supporting NATO, US Government and coalition forces around the world. I personally activated the US Air Force COVID-19 response operations on behalf of the Secretary of the Air Force, sustaining day-to-day processes and situational awareness products as they evolve to meet Secretary of Defense requirements. I’ve been awarded multiple quarterly and annual Company Grade Officer of the Year Awards (top performing Officer), to include calendar year 2020, and I truly enjoy giving back to the young professionals in our organization by dedicating time to mentor and education those within my sphere of influence

 

Service

List service to local chapter and to AHRMM national, including all committee/task force involvement, and whether you served as a member or as chair, within the past 5 years.

  • Member, Military Chapter
    • Assisted DoD AHRMM liaison with planning 2020 DoD Medical Logistics course for the Conference & Exhibition

List Annual Conferences, Leadership Training Conferences, and Thought Leader Summits attended, including dates and locations, within the past 5 years:

  • American College of Healthcare Executives Congress, March 2017, Chicago, IL
  • HQ Air Force Medical Resource Management Conference, November 2017, Orlando, FL
  • American College of Healthcare Executives Congress, March 2018, Chicago, IL
  • Association for Health Care Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM) Conference & Exhibition, July 2019, San Diego, CA
  • Association for Health Care Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM) Conference & Exhibition, September 2020, Virtual

Service to professional associations or community organizations to which you belong, including all committees, whether you served as a member or as chair, the year(s) of service, any elected offices held and the year(s) held:

  • President, David Grant USAF Medical Center Rising Six Professional Development Council, 2010 – 2011
  • Member, American College of Healthcare Executives, 2011 – 2019
  • Vice President, Luke Air Force Base Company Grade Officer Professional Development Council, 2013 – 2014
  • Lead/Member, Luke Air Force Base Medical Readiness Executive Committee, 2013 – 2014
  • Lead/Member, Kunsan Air Base Medical Readiness Executive Committee, 2014 – 2015
  • Lead/Member, Ramstein Air Base Medical Logistics Executive Committee, 2015
  • President, Kaiserslautern Military Community Center Healthcare Management Council, 2016 – 2018
  • Member, Modern Military Association of America, 2017 – Present
  • Member, HQ Air Force Medical Readiness Panel, 2018 – Present
  • Panelist, Up Close Foundation, D.C., 2019 – 2019
  • Member, HQ Air Force Medical Service Corps Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Planning Committee, 2020 – Present
  • At-hoc Member, HQ USCENTCOM Joint Logistics Coordination Board, 2020 – 2020