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Today's Featured Biography

 
Mike Anderson

After High School I studied Biology (pre-med) at UCSD, John Muir College. I graduated in 1978 and married Paula Cranfill. We both spent the next year at SDSU where Paula finished her bachelor's degree in Botany. Our worldwide adventures began shortly thereafter as I entered the Navy through the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, School of Medicine. In 1983 I graduated with an M.D. and subsequently moved to Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego where I completed a one year Internship in Family Practice. As was common in the Navy, I began practicing as a General Medical Officer assigned to the First Force Service Support Group.

My assignment with the Marines was the most memorable time of my life. Within six months I was deployed to the western pacific with the 11th MAU. Our ship visited ports in Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, and Hong Kong. Paula was able to meet me in Hong Kong for a week of liberty and shopping. During the second week she followed the ship to the Philippines where we continued to experience new foreign cultures. Upon my return to Camp Pendleton I spent the next two years completing my residency in Family Practice.

The next three years were spent in an isolated outback communications station in Exmouth, Western Australia. Known as the Harold E. Holt Communications Station, the base was home to 2,000 American Sailors and their families. An equal number of Australians lived near the base in an area well know for high quality sport fishing, unlimited numbers of rock lobster, and a virtually untouched barrier reef. Being one of only 2 American and 2 Australian physicians for 300 miles, I became accustomed to practicing independently, depending only on the Royal Flying Doctor Service to evacuate my sickest and most seriously injured patients to Perth, 850 miles to the south. Since physicians were scarce, I had the opportunity to be the Pediatrician at the birth of my daughter Angela. Of course her APGAR scores were perfect 10's.

After three years we returned to the United States where I served as faculty in the Puget Sound Family Medicine Residency. We fell in love with the Bremerton area even though it seemed to always be raining. My son Michael was born in 1992 at the Naval Hospital, Bremerton. While in Bremerton we forged several extremely strong friendships that will be cherished forever. By 1995 we left to see the world again as we departed for a three year tour in Keflavik, Iceland as the Director of Clinical Services. Located on an air station, it did not take long for us to figure out how to take space-A flights into Europe. Our neighbors who were NATO officers made sure that we knew exactly where to go, so we did. From skiing in Austria, to kissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland we explored at least 14 different countries during our assignment in Iceland.

Returning to Bremerton in 1998, I was given the opportunity to serve as the Director of Medicine for the Naval Hospital. My career was deviating toward executive medicine more and more. In 2000, I was promoted to Captain and subsequently accepted an assignment as the Executive Officer of the Naval Hospital Cherry Point. Located in Eastern North Carolina, the friendly atmosphere and southern hospitality was most enjoyable. Again, there is nothing like an assignment with Marines! While in North Carolina, I enrolled in a three year program leading to a Masters of Healthcare Administration (MHA)from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. I am a certified Tar heel now!

From Cherry Point we moved to the north of Chicago to Great Lakes, Illinois where I am currently the Commanding Officer of the Naval Hospital Great Lakes. Originally established in 1911, the current hospital was completed in 1960 to care for returning wounded from Vietnam. Capable of caring for 850 inpatients, the historical records suggest that there were times in which the hospital had 1,500 inpatients. That seems unbelievable as we currently maintain only 25 inpatient beds including our ICU. My current staff of 1,300 will soon grow to 1,800 as Navy Medicine reorganizes and consolidates healthcare commands. I thoroughly enjoy leading so many dedicated individuals who work so diligently for their country. We are forging new federal healthcare agreements with the VA which has earned us many accolades and the attention of our most senior government leaders. I am confident that we will be successful so that both military beneficiaries and Veteran's alike will have easy access to the highest quality healthcare.

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