Today's Featured Biography

 
Richard Jeffries

Rear Admiral Jeffries earned a BA from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and completed graduate studies at the University of Colorado in secondary education. He coached multiple sports while teaching high school science in Elizabeth, CO. He moved to Iowa as a pharmaceutical representative before accepting admission to osteopathic medicine. He began his naval career in 1976 through the Armed Forces Health Professional’s Scholarship Program. He graduated from the Des Moines University in 1979.

Dr. Jeffries completed an Internship and Family Medicine residency at Naval Hospital Pensacola and immediately attained Board Certification from the American Board of Family Physicians and later Fellow along with Osteopathic and Geriatric Boards. His first staff assignment was to Branch Naval Hospital Twenty-nine Palms, Calif. He received appointments as Head, Family Practice Department, Acting Director Clinical Services, and Chief, Medical Staff.

In August 1984 Dr. Jeffries was transferred to the Department of Family Medicine at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. He served as a Staff Physician, Residency Faculty, Clinic Director and eventually Director, Residency Training.

In 1990 he served in Operation Desert Shield as Artillery Regimental Surgeon and then acting 1st Marine Division Surgeon later becoming the Division Surgeon. In December 1992, he was appointed Marine Forces Central Command and I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) Force Surgeon for Operation Restore Hope in Somalia representing U.S. military healthcare to the Coalition.

In 1993 Dr. Jeffries was re-assigned to Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton as Residency Program Director and Department Head, Family Medicine. In 1996 he was appointed Chairman, Executive Committee of the Medical Staff and completed his tour as Director, Medical Services. In 1998 he reported to Marine Forces Pacific, Camp Smith, Hawaii, as the Force Surgeon for Pacific, Korea and Central Command. In 2000 he assumed duties as Deputy Commander for Clinical Services, Tripler Army Medical Center commanding during 9/11. He took command of Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton and the I MEF wounded from the invasion of Iraq in April 1993.

RADM (select) Jeffries reported to the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in 2005 as the first Deputy Chief for Future Plans and Strategies (M5). Shortly after arrival, Dr. Jeffries was deployed as the JFMCC Surgeon in support of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in New Orleans. In November 2005 Rear Adm. Jeffries was reassigned to Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps as the Medical Officer for the Marine Corps eventually serving under 3 Commandants. In July 2007 he received orders to report as Commander, National Naval Medical Center and Regional Commander, Navy Medicine National Capital Area, Bethesda, Maryland caring for the Nation's most serious wounded warriors and charged with putting Walter Reed Army Medical Center into the National Naval Medical Center.

Receiving his second star, Rear Adm. (Upper Half) Jeffries was sent back to the Marine Corps in 2008 as the Commandant and Marine Corps’ Senior Medical Officer and Healthcare Advisor. In January 2011, Rear Adm. Jeffries reached a mandatory age requirement for active service and retired on 1 February 2011.

Dr. Jeffries became an Independent Healthcare Consultant in 2011 and has worked with Cambia Health Solutions on a total fitness and wellness program, Rutgers-Cleveland Clinic Consortium for AFIRM 1, TriWest on successful bid for USMC Distress Line, William Carey University on Strategic Planning for new Osteopathic Medical School and Rocky Vista University teaching military medical students. He is currently Chief Medical Officer for Grace and Associates, Inc. and operates a professional corporation and health and wellness clinic in San Diego, CA for Onsite OHS. He is on the Defense Strategies Institute and Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund (Honorary as a Founder enabler) Boards.

Rear Adm. Jeffries’ personal decorations included the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with four Gold Stars, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with one Gold Star, Combat Action Award, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Navy Unit Commendation, Meritorious Unit Commendation with one Bronze Star, Army Order of Military Medical Merit, and Artillery Order of Saint Barbara.

Dr. Jeffries’s wife of 45 years, the former Carol Burkhardt, is a native of Minneapolis, Minnesota. They have two daughters Cherie Jeffries of Anaheim, CA, a Family and Marriage Psychologist, and Marcia Earnest, a Kindergarten teacher living in Simi Valley, CA with husband Robb and two wonderful grandsons Owen and Tyler Earnest.         

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