Col. Jennifer M. Gurney serves as the Chief, Joint Trauma System, and trauma surgeon at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. Gurney joined the U.S. Army while at Boston University Medical School on a Health Professions Service Program Scholarship and did her surgical training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Continuing her education and training, she worked at Stanford Hospital where she completed a Surgical Critical Care Fellowship and followed that with a year at the University of California San Francisco at San Francisco General Hospital.
Gurney has worked with the JTS since 2012 in one capacity or another and has dedicated her career to improving trauma care delivered to our Armed Forces deployed around the world. She also was the Chief, General Surgery at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany from 2011-2013 and at William Beaumont Army Medical Center from 2007-2009. Gurney also led the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research Burn Unit as the Deputy Director and was considered a sought-after leader in burn care management and educator to residents. She also spearheaded major efforts to enhance surgical practices and procedures across the globe, including partnerships with Honduran surgeons to share knowledge in reviewing combat mortalities in SOUTHCOM and assessing the AFRICOM CCMD trauma system through surveys of Role 1 and Role 2 care and onsite visits.
Gurney has over 150 publications and is currently a funded investigator on a blood research study, called Deployed HEROS. She has deployed over eight times in support of military operations and in her last deployment for Operation Inherent Resolve she served as the USCENTCOM Theater Trauma Director. Her tenure resulted in USCENTCOMs most comprehensive analysis of whole blood utilization in combat trauma and directly led to the adoption of whole blood use in the prehospital setting in several civilian regional trauma systems. Gurney has received a Legion of Merit with a 'C' (combat) device, three Bronze Star Medals, a Combat Action Badge, and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal for wartime service.