Optometrist gains new perspective on command leadership as NMRTC Twentynine Palms CO for a Day

Official Statements

• Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms, November 9: “TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. — Leading a military treatment facility and Navy Medicine command requires more than overseeing patient care. From managing personnel and resources to coordinating operational requirements across multiple installations, commanding officers must balance competing priorities while ensuring their commands remain ready to support the warfighter.

  For Lt. Steve Van Grouw, a staff optometrist assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Twentynine Palms, an opportunity to serve as commanding officer for a day on Sept. 15 offered a firsthand look at the responsibilities and decision-making processes involved in leading a Navy Medicine command.

  Through the experience, Van Grouw shadowed NMRTC Twentynine Palms commanding officer and Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms director Capt. Janiese Cleckley, gaining insight into the strategic planning, administrative coordination and leadership decisions that support healthcare delivery across the command.

  "My biggest takeaway from being CO for a day was seeing how much preparation and coordination it takes to keep the hospital running smoothly," Van Grouw said. "I gained a new appreciation for the CO's responsibility to oversee every part of the mission."

  A native of Exeter, California, Van Grouw joined Navy Medicine through the Health Professions Scholarship Program, which provides financial assistance to students pursuing careers in healthcare in exchange for military service.

  While the scholarship's financial benefits initially attracted him to the program, conversations with military healthcare providers helped shape his decision to pursue a career as a Navy optometrist.

  "I got the chance to speak with established military providers who spoke about the opportunity to care for people in a setting that offers purpose beyond the clinical work itself," Van Grouw said.

  The opportunity to develop as a leader, contribute beyond direct patient care and serve military personnel and their families ultimately reinforced his decision to join Navy Medicine.

  "Most of all, I wanted to serve those who serve our country," Van Grouw said.

  His experience as commanding officer for a day provided an opportunity to explore those leadership aspirations while developing a broader understanding of the command's mission.

  Throughout the experience, Van Grouw observed how executive leadership balances resource constraints, personnel assignments and deployment cycles while addressing the immediate needs of patients and healthcare professionals.

  He also gained insight into how leadership decisions affect healthcare operations across the command's geographically separated facilities, including Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms, Branch Health Clinic China Lake and Branch Health Clinic Bridgeport.

  Coordinating these facilities requires deliberate planning to ensure healthcare services remain aligned with operational requirements and the needs of the service members and families they support.

  "It gives you a much deeper appreciation for the work and deliberate planning that goes into supporting our clinicians at the bedside and the level of responsibility that our leaders are truly charged with," Cleckley said.

  For Cleckley, providing junior officers with opportunities to observe executive leadership is an important investment in developing the next generation of Navy Medicine leaders.

  "It is our responsibility to develop our future leaders," Cleckley said. "Taking the opportunity to teach, mentor, coach and develop our leaders as junior officers to position them for future success will yield huge dividends for the officer, the Navy and our military as a whole."

  Cleckley emphasized that effective leadership extends beyond making decisions and requires setting an example through mentorship, transparency and a commitment to developing others.

  For Van Grouw, the experience reinforced how the responsibilities of executive leadership are interconnected, from managing hospital facilities and administrative operations to ensuring patients receive quality healthcare.

  "It was a valuable learning experience that showed me how closely all these responsibilities are connected, and how much thoughtful leadership, organization and attention to detail are needed to support the staff and patients that visit the hospital," Van Grouw said.

  The commanding officer for a day experience highlighted the importance of developing leadership skills at every level of Navy Medicine. By exposing junior officers to the broader responsibilities of command, NMRTC Twentynine Palms helps prepare future leaders to balance clinical priorities with the operational demands of military healthcare.

  Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Twentynine Palms operates Defense Health Agency military treatment facility Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms, which delivers safe, high-quality healthcare to service members and their families. The command supports the health and readiness of warfighters at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, the Marine Corps' largest live-fire training installation, while readying Navy Medicine personnel to provide expeditionary medical support around the world.”