UMass Diabetes Nurse Practitioner Sean Collins Appointed Commander of the Air Force Medical Service
Date Posted: Tuesday, November 26, 2024
United States Air Force Major General Sean Collins recently surpassed 30 years of military service and looks forward to retiring and returning to his role as a nurse practitioner at the UMass Memorial Diabetes Center of Excellence and assistant professor of nursing at he Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing at UMass Chan Medical School.
Meanwhile, he was once again called up to active duty to serve as commander of the Air Force Medical Service. It's the first time that a Guardsman has been elevated to this position. Maj. Gen. Collins was last called to active duty in Washington, DC in 2021 where he served an important role as Commander of the Air Force Medical Readiness Agency. He provided consultative leadership to more than 44,000 personnel, 76 military treatment facilities and oversaw a $6 billion budget.
“For nearly 30 years, I served in the U.S. Navy then the U.S. Public Health Service, so I have firsthand insight into the tremendous responsibility carried by General Collins,” said David Harlan, MD, the William and Doris Krupp Professor of Medicine and co-director of the Diabetes Center of Excellence at UMass Chan Medical School. “He’s a proven leader who steps up to do the right thing, and for the right reasons, whenever and wherever the need arises. Since such skills, ability, and character are rare and we’ve also recognized them when he cared for diabetes patients here, his elevation to such an important duty in the Air Force is no surprise to us.”
Collins will continue to serve as the director of Space Force Medical Operations, a directorate in the Air Force Medical Service that helped establish in 2019. He also serves as the Air National Guard Assistant to the Surgeon General of the Air Force and Space Force.
“He considers us to be his medical home and we are very proud of him,” said Samir Malkani, MD, clinical chief, Division of Endocrinology & Diabetes at UMass Memorial Health and UMass Chan Medical School. “Even while he’s away on these important missions, he checks in regularly with friends and colleagues in our clinic. The Air Force could not have a more capable leader and we will welcome him back when he is ready to return.”
Collins earned his master’s degree from UMass Chan Medical School followed by a post master’s certificate as an adult nurse practitioner from the Graduate School of Nursing.
After his first overseas deployment as a medical team leader during the Kosovo crisis, Collins was ready to continue his education with a PhD in nursing. His first day of class for the doctoral program was on September 11, 2001. Subsequently, he was called to active duty and didn’t earn his PhD until 2009.
In the years between he completed several deployments with his Air National Guard unit. He served in Iraq in 2004 where he worked alongside health care providers from around the world in the emergency room of the Air Force Hospital, caring for locals and members of all military branches. During deployments to Iraq in 2008 and Afghanistan in 2011, Collins witnessed numerous combat injuries and casualties.
His leadership skills have been called upon locally as well. In 2021, Collins was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, MA.
“Serving in the uniform is an honor and a privilege. My life experiences and education have offered me an opportunity to serve my fellow members in a competent and compassionate way,” said Brig. Gen. Collins. “In turn, my military service has given me insights that I can use in the classroom and clinical setting.”