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T M C » P U L S E | N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 12 GEORGE V. MASI President and CEO of Harris Health System; retired colonel in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps When George V. Masi joined the U.S. Army in 1973 as an officer in the Medical Service Corps, he didn't plan to spend more than two years on active duty. But one tour turned into two, and that turned into a 27-year career that took Masi and his family to Korea, Germany and several different locations in the United States. Before coming to work at Harris Health, the largest safety-net health care system in the region, Masi worked with Ben Taub Hospital— one of the institutions within Harris Health System. "The army, navy and air force used to send their surgeons to Ben Taub Hospital to a facility called the Joint Trauma Training Center," Masi said. "There was no war and the military needed a place to have their trauma surgeons train and Ben Taub was that hospital." Masi has been with Harris Health for 17 years, but still brings lessons learned from the army to work with him every day. "In the army, we used to say, 'Take care of the soldiers and they will take care of you if you are a leader,' and the same holds true in the civilian sector," Masi said. "So much of it is about people—treating people with dignity and respect, knowing full well that the mission is difficult. … If you are attentive to the needs of your people—whether they are soldiers or, in this case, civilian members of the team—they will do incredibly wonderful things. That was my experience in the military and it has been my rewarding expe- rience here at Harris Health." YONG CHOI, M.D. > Bariatric surgeon at CHI St. Luke's Health-The Woodlands Hospital; retired colonel in the U.S. Army During a 25-year career in the mili- tary, Yong Choi, M.D., was deployed to the Middle East four times. "I was deployed to Kuwait on Thanksgiving Day 2001 and then subsequently deployed ... once to Iraq and two more times to Afghanistan," Choi said. "While over there, we cared for U.S. and allied soldiers, local nationals, civilians and prison- ers if they needed medical treat- ment. I can't think of anything better than taking care of the soldiers in the military. They are the best patients and they are so grateful." A Houston native, Choi gradu- ated from the U.S. Military Academy (West Point) before beginning his medical career with the armed forces. He completed medical school at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland; residency at Eisenhower Army Medical Center in License to... Adaptive Driving Access has one of the largest selections of lifts and mobility equipment in Texas. ADA offers only the highest quality products available in our industry. We have what you need to help get you on your way, because your mobility is our mission. • Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles • New & Certified Pre-owned Inventory • Adaptive Mobility Products • Scooter Lifts • 24/7 Emergency Assistance • Maintenance & Repair Service Call for details! PASADENA | HOUSTON | CORPUS CHRISTI | MCALLEN | COLLEGE STATION ADAPTIVEDRIVING.COM >