Speakers

Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Thomas "Tom" W. Harrell is the Director, Defense Health Network Central; Commander, 59th Medical Wing; Director, San Antonio Market; and lead, Air Force Medical Agency Alpha. As the Director of DHN Central, Harrell leads a joint, integrated medical system of 39 military medical hospitals and clinics, including the Department of Defense’s largest healthcare, medical education and readiness training platforms. The network supports military departments and combatant commands by ensuring the U.S. military has ready medical professionals and a medically ready force.

As the 59th Medical Wing Commander, Maj. Gen. Harrell commands the Air Force Medical Service’s largest healthcare, medical education and readiness platform comprising six groups with a staff of 5,600 personnel executing a $270 million budget. The wing conducts 900,000 clinic visits, performs 19,000 surgical procedures, and supports more than 300 worldwide deployments annually. Additionally, the 59 MDW staff at Brooke Army Medical Center supports 2.5 million patient visits and 19,000 admissions per year.

As the Director for the San Antonio Market, Maj. Gen. Harrell directs and manages the overall operations and resources of an integrated, joint-service health system with a collective operating budget of $1.2 billion. The Market provides high-quality, safe, and reliable health care to more than 255,000 local beneficiaries.

Maj. Gen. Harrell received an ROTC Pre-Health Profession Scholarship, commissioning from the University of South Florida. His doctorate in medicine was conferred from the University of South Florida College of Medicine. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, followed by a sponsored fellowship in cardiology/electrophysiology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver.

Maj. Gen. Harrell has commanded a squadron, a DoD/VA hospital and an Air Force Medical Center. Previously, he served as the Commander of Air Force Medical Readiness Agency, Defense Health Headquarters, Deputy Director of Medical Operations for the Air Force Medical Service; Deputy Director of Medical Services at the Air Force Medical Operations Agency; the sub-unified Alaskan Command Surgeon at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; and the Command Surgeon for Air Education and Training Command. Clinically, he has been both a Department Chief and the Chief of Medical Services. Additionally, he conducted aerospace cardiology research for the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, subsequently serving as the first Chief of the Medical Flight Screening Branch, followed by a tour as the Chief of Aeromedical Services. He holds a Master of Strategic Studies with academic distinction from the Air War College and is a board-certified Cardiologist and Physician Executive. He is a Fellow in American College of Cardiology. Maj. Gen. Harrell is also a Chief Flight Surgeon with experience in a variety of aircraft required to execute the United States Air Force’s combatant and humanitarian relief missions.