Bruce L. Gillingham, MD, CPE, FAOA, RADM, MC, USN to present Howard H. Steel Lecture
The 2020 Howard H. Steel Lecturer was US Navy Surgeon General and Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Bruce Gillingham. Dr. Gillingham presented on Leadership in Challenging Circumstances.
Registered but couldn’t attend? View the recorded Howard H. Steel Lecture today!
About Bruce L. Gillingham, MD, CPE, FAOA, RADM, MC, USN US Navy Surgeon General and Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
Rear Adm. Bruce L. Gillingham is a native of San Diego. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology (with high honors) from the University of California, San Diego and a Doctor of Medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He is an inductee in the medical honor society of Alpha Omega Alpha.
Gillingham completed a surgical internship and an orthopaedic residency at Naval Medical Center San Diego. He also completed subspecialty training as a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada in 1995. He qualified as an undersea and diving medical officer.
He has served in various positions throughout Navy Medicine to include director of Pediatric Orthopaedic and Scoliosis Surgery; Associate Orthopaedic Residency Program director; and director of Surgical Services. While assigned to Naval Medical Center San Diego, he was instrumental in establishing the Comprehensive Combat and Complex Casualty Care Center (C5).
Operationally, he served aboard the hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) as staff orthopaedic surgeon and as director of surgical services. He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II as battalion chief of Professional Services (Forward) for the 1st Force Service Support Group and officer in charge of the Surgical Shock Trauma Platoon, achieving a 98 percent combat casualty survival rate while providing echelon II surgical care during Operation Phantom Fury.
Gillingham also served as deputy chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Readiness & Health; commander, Navy Medicine West; commander, Naval Medical Center San Diego; deputy commander, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth; commanding officer, Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Florida; Pacific Fleet surgeon, and Fleet surgeon and director, Health Services, U.S. Fleet Forces. While in the Pacific, he led efforts to assist the Vietnam People’s Navy in creating an Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical program, and in the re-location of Navy Medical Research Unit-2 to Singapore. In 2011, he served as the Joint Support Force-Japan Surgeon in the aftermath of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, ensuring the safety of over 200,000 U.S. citizens, service members and families.
He is a diplomat of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the American Orthopaedic Association and a member of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, American College of Physician Executives, Society of Military Orthopedic Surgeons and Association of Military Surgeons of the United States. He has published over 30 scientific articles and book chapters.
Gillingham’s personal awards include the Legion of Merit (seven awards), Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with the Eagle Globe, and Anchor device with bronze star and the Fleet Marine Force ribbon.
About the Howard Steel Lectures
AOA Member and former Vice President, Howard H. Steel, MD, held the position of Chief Surgeon at Shriner’s Hospital and Professor of Orthopaedics at Temple University Medical Center. There he established the first spinal cord injury center designed specifically for children. In 1981, a group of his grateful adult patients founded The Howard H. Steel Orthopaedic Foundation. The Foundation funds lectureships on any subject except for orthopaedics or medicine-reflecting Dr. Steel’s own interests and achievements as a Renaissance man, which go far beyond the orthopaedic arena, including art, wine, music, and sports of all kinds. Eight national and international orthopaedic organizations, including the AOA, are fortunate to benefit from his Foundation.