Cmdr. Valerie Littlefield relinquished charge of Naval Branch Health Clinic Key West and Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Unit Key West to Cmdr. Connie Braybrook during a ceremony aboard Naval Air Station Key West on Aug. 21.

Capt. Teresa Allen, Naval Hospital Jacksonville commander and Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Jacksonville commanding officer, presented Littlefield with the Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding meritorious service in performance of her duties as officer in charge (OIC).

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony included face coverings, social distancing, and a limited number of participants.

Littlefield, a Nurse Corps officer and native of Dallas, Texas, served as the clinic’s OIC from May 2018 to August 2020. Prior to that, she served as Naval Medical Center San Diego’s senior nurse officer for the mental health directorate and department head for inpatient mental health.

Under Littlefield’s leadership, the clinic’s 73 staff: delivered care to 3,000 personnel at an isolated duty station, secured a force readiness rating above 95 percent, earned The Gold Seal of Approval® and Primary Care Medical Home certification from The Joint Commission (the nation’s largest and oldest accrediting body in health care), and achieved Navy Surgeon General's Health Promotion and Wellness “Blue H” Awards (for excellence in clinical primary prevention, community health promotion, and medical staff health). The clinic supported the mission of all operational forces aboard NAS Key West, including the Coast Guard.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the clinic collaborated with community and military entities to provide contact tracing and testing; established a drive-up pharmacy that filled 4,000 prescriptions; and registered all of its providers with Navy Care, enabling patients to have virtual medical visits.

Littlefield also led the clinic during its transition to the Defense Health Agency and the establishment of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Unit Key West.

Following the change of charge, Littlefield retired from active duty after 28 years of honorable and dedicated service. As an Army medic, she served with 1st Armored Division, Kenner Army Clinic, and Fort Carson. As a Navy Nurse Corps officer, she previously served at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, U.S. Naval Hospital Naples, Naval Branch Health Clinic Groton, Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms, and Naval Medical Center San Diego.

Incoming OIC Cmdr. Connie Braybrook is a Nurse Corps officer and native of Guam. She previously served as senior nurse officer and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner at Naval Branch Health Clinic Fallon.

As the Jacksonville Market, Naval Hospital Jacksonville and its five branch health clinics (including NBHC Key West) serve 163,000 active duty, active duty family members, and retired service members, with about 75,000 patients who are enrolled with a primary care manager. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Jacksonville (and its five units, including NMRTU Key West) ensures warfighters’ medical readiness to deploy and clinicians’ readiness to save lives.