Mark Goodge, CTO of the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) understands the importance of technology. He’d better: As a health care enclave for all four branches of the U.S. armed forces, NNMC spans 5,000 network users across 5,000 miles in five states. But technology isn’t the only issue on his mind, or even the foremost one.

“Technology is easy,” Goodge says. “It’s getting the people to buy into the organization, to make them feel that they have some ownership in the process, and make them feel like it’s their home.”

Being proactive, rather than reactive, has allowed Goodge to meet the unique challenges faced by NNMC.

“This is kind of a big first for the military, to have a ‘purple union’ of Army, Air Force, and Navy, into a unified federal health care industry,” he says, adding that NNMC will grow even more during the next five years to incorporate the current staff of the century old Walter Reed Medical Center.

Having spent 10 years as a Navy corpsman before advancing to his current role, Goodge knows a lot about team-building. He has worked hard to empower his staff to make the best use of their skills, resources, and initiative. That’s something just about any IT manager can admire.

Mark Goodge, National Naval Medical Center