Spotlighting the Career of LCDR Timothy Yett

Biography Contributed by: LTJG Alyssa Givens

This Nursing Spotlight is brought to you by CDR Amy Valderrama, CDR Nichole Vetter and LCDR Allison Gallen.

Prior to the USPHS taking over the clinic, a private physician group once ran the Yosemite Clinic. The transition required new staff and LCDR Yett found the job posting on a USPHS listserv while working with the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). He transferred from the BOP to begin work in the clinic in early April 2011. Being the sole provider, he spent 30 days unpacking boxes, setting up vital equipment, ordering supplies, discarding expired materials and setting up the electronic health record (EHR) prior to the physician’s arrival at the end of April 2011; they had a soft clinic opening on April 21, 2011. This experience proved to be one of the best since joining the USPHS. "This is a labor of love- we have an amazing team who work well together and we complement each other’s’ skills, it is a positive work environment and I haven’t had any negative experiences. The clinic was built from the ground up and it functions well."

LCDR Yett currently serves on two important committees. He is the Chair of the San Francisco Area National Prevention Strategy Workgroup, one of the Surgeon General’s current campaigns, where he enjoys collaborating with fellow officers providing health promotion and disease prevention in a tradition-al community based style in health fairs, schools, faith based organizations, and remote community locations. He is also a member of the Transitional Assis-tance Program (TAPS-GPS) sub-committee of the Recruitment and Retention subcommittee within the Junior Officers Advisory Group (JOAG).

LCDR Yett recommends that new officers take advantage of the retire-ment seminar early in their career emphasizing "learning the benefits of a full 30 year career." He also stresses the importance of finding a mentor who aligns with your own career goals, "Always build a good coalition and relationships while you are in the Corps."

Another significant aim is the understanding that education and learning is the cornerstone to a successful career and true to his words to "make a commitment to lifelong learning," LCDR Yett is currently enrolled at George Washington University, completing his Doctor of Nursing Practice in Healthcare Executive Leadership

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