On Wednesday, March 3, 2021 the Association of the US Army (AUSA) Costal South Carolina Chapter awarded its quarterly customer service award to Mr. Edmund (Fred) Lesinski for outstanding service to military men and women, veterans, and their families. 

Fred is the Ralph H. Johnson (RHJ) VA Medical Center’s Chief of Community Engagement & Veteran Experience.   Fred is one of the many reasons that the Lowcountry of SC has the best VA Medical Center.  His tireless efforts to improve the quality of services to veterans and their families have contributed greatly to the RHJ VA Med Center’s habitual five-star rating and the selection of the RHJ VA Med Center to be in the top 10% of all public and private hospitals in the USA for over ten years for quality of care, customer satisfaction, infection prevention, and many other metrics. 

Fred was the Volunteer and Customer Service Department Chief before being promoted to the Chief of Community Engagement & Veteran Experience.  Fred is a US Air Force Veteran and a great asset to the RHJ VA Med Center and a dedicated and tireless advocate for veterans and patriotic organizations like AUSA.  Fred has been a past guest speaker to the AUSA Coastal Carolina Chapter. He also played a key role in obtaining more parking at the RHJ VA Med Center, establishing a complaint and suggestion program, building the largest and most active volunteer program in the VA, promoting recognition of VA employees for outstanding service, establishing a Pateint and Family Advisory Council (PFAC), bringing a fantastic Fisher House to Charleston, and too many more great improvements in servcies to Vets to mention.  Fred was nominated for this award by Larry Dandridge, the VP for Veteran and Retiree Affairs for the AUSA Coastal SC Chapter.

AUSA’s Coastal South Carolina Chapter awards its Outstanding Service Award to a deserving employee of the RHJ VA Medical Center four times each year.  Past Awards have been presented to Mrs. Hannah McCoy, the Chief of the Patient Advocate Office and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurse Lydia Batista at the RHJ VA Medical Center.  The award consists of a framed letter and trophy. The Coastal South Carolina Chapter of AUSA has also adopted the terrific RHJ VA Medical Center and its wonderful Fisher House Charleston. 

The chapter also makes monetary, food, and other donations to the RHJ VA Med Center each year.  Fred’s award was presented to him by the Chief Operating Officer and Director of the RHJ VA Medical Center, Mr. Scott Isaacks.  Due to the Corona Virus attendance to the award ceremony was limited.