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CAPT Richard A. Hatch
Receives the 2005 Stanley J. Kissel Jr. Award
CAPT
Richard A. Hatch, OD was awarded the 2005 Stanley J.
Kissel Jr. Award for Outstanding Health Services
Professional of the Year at the COA meeting in
Philadelphia, PA. The recipient must have had an
impact on the nation’s health, exhibited leadership
in the achievements being cited, and must serve as a
role model for others. CAPT Hatch was selected for
his sustained leadership of an exceptional nature,
his recognized outstanding achievements, his highly
visible and vital current responsibilities, and his
future value to the Public Health Service (PHS) as
IHS Chief Optometry Clinical Consultant
CAPT Hatch began his United States Public Health
Service (PHS) career with the IHS in 1974 as the
Chief of Optometry at the Gallup Indian Medical
Center and Crownpoint IHS Hospital. As one of the
few eye care providers on the Navajo Area at the
time, CAPT Hatch’s contributions ranged from
treating the overwhelming problem of severe
astigmatism which resulted in amblyopia to the
elimination of trachoma, a blinding eye disease.
From 1977-1986, he left the IHS to practice
optometry in the private sector but his dedication
to work with the underserved American Indian
population persisted at the Salt Lake Indian Health
Center for three of those years. CAPT Hatch’s
dedication to provide eye care to American Indians
resulted in his return to public service in the
Navajo Area to work as an optometrist at the Chinle
Comprehensive Health Care Facility in 1986. In 1988,
he accepted the position as the Navajo Area Deputy
Chief Clinical Consultant for Optometrists when he
transferred to the Gallup Indian Medical Center. He
later served as the Navajo Area Chief Clinical
Consultant for Optometrists from 1990-2002.
CAPT Hatch’s contribution to IHS optometry has
vastly improved the quality of eye care provided for
the American Indians and Alaskan Natives. His active
leadership has helped promote many positive changes,
which enabled the IHS to recruit and retain high
quality primary eye care providers. CAPT Hatch has
initiated and oversees several eye related programs
which have enhanced the optometry program within the
IHS and native corporations. In 1993, CAPT Hatch was
instrumental in the initiation of a joint eye care
meeting of IHS optometrists and IHS
ophthalmologists. This has evolved into a well
attended Biennial Eye Care Meeting held in
California. The Biennial Eye Care Meeting has
provided outstanding continuing medical education
stressing the more common eye conditions and eye
diseases found in the IHS population as well as
provided information and camaraderie amongst the eye
care providers located all over the United States.
CAPT Hatch also provides mentorship and support to
the 140 IHS optometrists which include PHS officers,
tribal, civil service and direct hire optometrists
located in 77 facilities and 18 states. Through
phone calls, emails, and newsletters he conducts
regular communication with all IHS optometrists as
well as maintains optometry staff development,
recruitment, and retention activities. His
outstanding contributions, clinical skills and
leadership abilities have earned CAPT Hatch the
respect of his patients and colleagues not only
within the IHS, but within tribal governments,
academia and national organizations. CAPT Hatch is
routinely sought out for his expertise from
government agencies outside the IHS including the
Food and Drug Administration, Bureau of Prisons, the
Office of Commissioned Corps Force Management, and
the Office of Force Readiness and Deployment.
Examples of eye care programs he oversees are the
IHS optometry residencies and optometry student
clinical training programs. In the early 1990’s,
CAPT Hatch was instrumental in the formation of the
first IHS Optometry Residency Program when he was
able to secure funds from the Save the Children
Foundation to form the first IHS Optometry
Residency. Since its inception, sixty-seven
optometry residents have completed residencies at
various IHS facilities.
Keeping pace with both the growing amount of care
and the level of care, CAPT Hatch has established
and contributes regularly to several eye care
committees and appointed several optometrists to
coordinate various issues and to represent IHS
optometry in national organizations. The committees
include: IHS Eye Care Diabetes Committee, IHS Vision
Health Promotion Committee, IHS Optometry
Professional Advisory Committee, IHS Optometry Loan
Repayment Committee, IHS Optometry Performance
Improvement Committee, and IHS Optometry Residency
Directors Committee. He has appointed an IHS
Optometry Coding and Billing Consultant, IHS
Optometry Continuing Education Coordinator, IHS
Optometry Clinical Training Programs Coordinator,
IHS Optometry Webmaster, IHS Optometry Research
Coordinator, and IHS Optometry Commissioned Corps
Office of Force Readiness and Deployment Liaison. He
has ensured IHS Optometry’s representation in
national organizations such as AMSUS, American
Academy of Optometry, American Public Health
Association, Armed Forces Optometry Society,
American Optometric Association, National Eye
Institute, and Healthy People 2010 Initiative.
Clearly, CAPT Hatch has improved IHS eye care. These
committees were all initiated or restructured by
CAPT Hatch to improve the overall eye care service
to the IHS population in the nation.
CAPT Hatch is a seasoned clinician, who continues to
work at keeping up with new clinical knowledge and
skills to best meet his patients’ needs. A common
observation is that IHS clinicians deal routinely
with conditions that others may see only in books or
rarely in a career. From trauma to trachoma, severe
astigmatism to amblyopia, diabetic retinopathy to
retinal detachments, CAPT Richard Hatch has proven
himself as an exceptionally competent and efficient
clinician whether working with the most rudimentary
or sophisticated facilities and staff support. To
compliment his clinical achievements, he has very
successfully supervised clinical staff, administered
programs and made invaluable programmatic and
professional contributions from health center to
national levels. Not only has he improved the
efficiency and efficacy of direct patient care in
the Eye Care Department at GIMC but all the eye care
departments in the IHS.
Because of his dedication and energy, he has
improved the quality of eye health care delivery for
the IHS and native corporations. His leadership,
clinical skills, and professionalism enhanced the
overall efficiency of many optometry programs and
positively influenced other optometrists. CAPT
Hatch’s continued outstanding work brings credit not
only to the Gallup Indian Medical Center, but also
to the IHS and native corporations in general. CAPT
Hatch’s administrative skills and clinical skills
have always been at levels that make him a model for
other officers and clinicians throughout the IHS. As
a result, CAPT Hatch is truly deserving of the 2005
Stanley J. Kissel Award. |
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