CARIBBEAN SEA (May 31, 2025) — Aboard the Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), the Radiology Department turned lessons from a mass-casualty drill into a powerful example of the Navy’s Get Real, Get Better (GRGB) culture of continuous improvement.

During a Commander’s Readiness Evaluation (CRE) held while underway for Continuing Promise 2025, the department identified several barriers limiting rapid, accurate imaging support—vital to triage and surgical decision-making during high-tempo operations.

Identifying the Gaps

Radiology’s mission aboard Comfort is to deliver timely X-rays, CT scans, and ultrasounds that guide treatment priorities, conserve critical resources, and enable lifesaving decisions.
The CRE drill exposed constraints such as limited communication, under-utilized portable X-ray units, and reliance on paper forms that slowed image delivery and increased documentation errors.

“Our ability to communicate and share images in real time directly affects patient outcomes,” said Cmdr. Nicholas Digeorge, Radiology Department Head. “The drill was the perfect opportunity to get real about our systems and get better together.”

Getting Real: Assessing the Barriers

In the Get Real phase, the team conducted a candid review of workflow and infrastructure. They discovered that runners were still used to deliver imaging requests between departments and that portable X-ray units lacked network connectivity, forcing reliance on hard-copy films and handwritten forms. With only two portable machines to cover multiple treatment zones, bottlenecks delayed urgent care.

Root-cause analysis pointed to outdated infrastructure, limited resources, and gaps in procedures—all of which the team set out to correct.



Getting Better: Empowering Sailors and Modernizing Systems

The Get Better phase focused on empowering Sailors and modernizing operations.
- Technician Empowerment: X-ray technicians were authorized to update radiology request forms with verbal confirmation from ordering providers, cutting delays and improving accuracy.
- Training and Standardization: Providers received refresher training on proper documentation to eliminate recurring errors.
- Infrastructure Upgrades: New portable X-ray units were procured and connected to the ship’s network, enabling real-time access to digital images across departments.
- Enhanced Communication: Dedicated phones and radios were added, establishing direct lines between radiology, surgery, and triage teams to close the communication loop.

These actions produced measurable gains. Imaging turnaround time improved by nearly 30 percent during follow-on drills, while documentation discrepancies dropped by more than 40 percent—clear proof that the GRGB framework drives tangible readiness results.

Building a Stronger, Faster Response

By embracing Get Real, Get Better, Comfort’s Radiology Department strengthened patient care and fleet readiness. Empowered technicians, faster communication, and expanded imaging access now enable more precise, timely diagnostics in any operational environment—from humanitarian assistance to combat-casualty response.

“These changes make us more capable of saving lives when seconds count,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Wudineh Melketsadek. “We’re ready for whatever mission comes next.”

The initiative has already inspired other medical departments aboard Comfort to conduct their own GRGB assessments. Lessons learned will be shared with fleet medical units and presented at upcoming Navy Medicine readiness symposia.

Lasting Impact

The department’s success underscores the power of Navy Medicine’s Get Real, Get Better approach: honest assessment, focused improvement, and sustained readiness. By transforming daily processes through Sailor-driven innovation, Comfort’s Radiology team ensures the ship remains a fully mission-capable platform for medical support wherever the fleet sails.

About Navy Medicine

Navy Medicine—comprising more than 44,000 highly trained military and civilian professionals—provides expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below, and above the sea, and ashore.
Through its commitment to Get Real, Get Better, Navy Medicine continues to ensure a medically ready force and a ready medical force—delivering high-reliability care whenever and wherever it is needed.