Cooper University Health Care trauma surgeon Dr. John Chovanes was presented with the Meritorious Service Medal from the Army for the establishment of the Army Medical Department Military-Civilian Trauma Team Training program at Cooper and his selfless devotion to soldiers and unparalleled dedication to mission accomplishment.
In early 2019, Cooper, the region’s leading academic health system, became the first trauma center in the nation to establish an AMCT3 program. The AMCT3 program provides opportunities for the Army’s elite medical professionals to work in the nation’s busiest trauma centers to sharpen their skills and support military medical readiness.
Chovanes, who is the founding medical director and chief surgeon of Cooper’s Section of Military, Diplomatic and Field Affairs, said he was “humbled and honored” by the recognition.
“We have an amazing team,” he said.
Cooper co-CEO Kevin O’Dowd said the honor is well-deserved.
“Dr. Chovanes has been the driving force behind the development of Cooper’s military training programs, including the AMCT3, which provide the highest level of training to military medical corps to ensure they can effectively treat any case they may encounter in connection with their combat deployments,” O’Dowd said.
Cooper is the only Level I Trauma Center for all of southern New Jersey and is one of the busiest trauma centers in the region. Due to its high-volume trauma center and expertise in surgery and critical care, Cooper provides a wide range of military, diplomatic and field affairs training programs. Cooper is the only hospital in the United States that has trained elite medical providers from every U.S. military branch, multiple local, state, and federal government agencies, and international partners.
Co-CEO Anthony Mazzarelli said the unit is deserving of recognition.
“This is a great honor for Dr. Chovanes, who is a tremendous advocate for our trauma team — the busiest trauma team in the region — and their desire to share their expertise to train the men and women serving in our military to save lives on the battlefield,” he said.
