Hospital leader is ready to move on

Capt. Mark Olesen has seen two years of tremendous growth and change at the Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital.

Today, he will be at the center of another change - as he relinquishes command of the hospital and moves on to become deputy medical officer of the Marine Corps.

"It feels like a snap of the fingers," Olesen said recently, reflecting on his time at the hospital's helm. "One of my greatest joys has been working in this great command. It's made these two years just fly by. It's been one pleasure after another."

Olesen served as commander during a time in which 10 to 15 percent of the uniformed staff was deployed at any one time, and the hospital's workload increased partly due to injuries associated with the war - particularly traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The number of babies born in the hospital also increased - a jump in average delivery rate of 46 percent since 2005.

The hospital met the challenges by adding case managers, pediatric staff, obstetricians and gynecologists, nurse midwives, mental health professionals, physical therapists and other staff. And the planning has already begun for a 100,000-square foot expansion and renovation of the existing facility.

Additionally, the hospital has made changes specifically to meet the needs of wounded warriors, such as adding a full-time pain management specialist and expanding sports medicine and orthopedic capabilities.

The challenge, Olesen said, is "identifying not just the needs of the moment, but laying a foundation for the future," so the hospital can continue to meet the needs of the community.

When he took command, Olesen expected to see training injuries and orthopedic injuries, especially those related to improvised explosive device blasts.

"What I didn't expect, frankly, is the baby boomlet," he said. "That was a bit unexpected."

Also, he said, "I don't think any of us expected the growth in the PTSD and TBI. We knew that those conditions existed, they had existed in previous conflicts, but the number of patients, particularly with mild to moderate symptoms, was higher than I think many of us expected."

The growth of the Marine Corps also was not something Olesen expected, but he called it a great opportunity. Because of the rapid growth, he said, the hospital has been able to shave down the typical time frame for new construction.

Normally it takes 10 to 15 years from the time a need is identified in the military until a new facility opens. These new hospital expansions will take more like four or five years, Olesen said.

And though Olesen has overseen a lot of change, he said very little would have been possible without the support of the community and the hard work of his staff.

"I am so honored and humbled to be a part of this great team," he said. "They rogered up to every challenge, expected and unexpected, and provided superlative patient care."

Contact interactive content editor Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467. Visit www.jdnews.com to comment on this report.