比莉珍. Randolph，博士，PT(上校，美国.S. 退伍军人)从小就知道帮助别人是她的基因. What she didn’t know in those early years was just how far this calling was going to take her: from central 肯塔基州 to the Army; to Walter Reed Army Medical Center; the White House; the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 和更多的, 伦道夫给世界各地的人们和病人留下了深刻的印象.

Randolph’s storied career and deep commitment to serving others is one of many reasons why she was inducted into the 健康科学学院 Hall of Fame on Nov. 7.

来自里士满的卑微家庭, 肯塔基州, Randolph began to pursue a career in physical therapy (PT) after spending her weekends traversing eastern 肯塔基州 mountain towns to deliver care.

“我真的觉得这是我命中注定要做的事情，”她说. “因为PT，我看到了我对人们生活的直接影响. Back in the 70’s, there were not many PT schools and I only applied to the 火狐体育下注. 这是我做过的最好的决定.”

Randolph now serves as the Deputy Director and VA lead of the Extremity Trauma and Amputation Center of Excellence—a joint effort between the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs— and the Nation’s premiere center for promoting excellence and research related to traumatic extremity injuries and amputations. 这个职位只是她华丽简历中的一页.

1978年，伦道夫接受了直接委任，开始服兵役. 她毕业于陆军联合军种参谋学校, 指挥参谋学院, 陆军战争学院, 以及联邦行政学院. 她曾在Ft. 诺克斯，肯塔基，Ft. Stewart, Georgia, Tripler陆军医疗中心，Schofield军营，Hawaii, Ft. 莱文沃斯，堪萨斯州，Ft. 坎贝尔，肯塔基州和沃尔特里德陆军医疗中心.

“I really liked the military and the ability to practice independently,”她说。. After going through all three of my clinicals, I called an Army recruiter and the rest is history.”

在完成博士学位之后, Randolph returned to practice at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and was integral in crafting the medical response for soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq during the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

“9/11那天我在沃尔特里德医院. 我们做了所有这些准备, 当我们得知五角大楼被袭击后, 下一步是决定如何应对这些袭击,”她说。. “In late 2001, I was called by the Army Surgeon General who asked me if I knew where Afghanistan was. 他说，这是一个充满地雷的国家. We’re going in and you’re the last person on active duty with any amputee experience.’”

“我们有一个很大的截肢项目. 当我在火狐体育下注的时候，麦克道格尔，”伦道夫继续说道. “Because of my experience, the Surgeon General asked me to set up an amputee center at Walter Reed. 这就是我所做的. I recruited experts in the field of amputation care to come in and train our therapists and doctors. We started the amputee center and for years we saw every casualty that came through Walter Reed.”

2004年，兰多夫宣布参加竞选. She was selected and made history as the first physical therapist to command a at the Army brigade level. “我在马里兰州和宾夕法尼亚州指挥医疗部队，”她说. “指挥这些部队是我军旅生涯的巅峰.”

Randolph dedicated 28 years of her life to the Army before retiring and beginning her position with the VA in 2012. 作为一名老兵, she feels privileged to serve other veterans and ensure they receive the best care possible.

“Serving our veterans and wounded warriors is the most amazing experience,伦道夫说. “If I’d had just a fraction of my knowledge today about the VA when I was on active duty, 我会是一个更好的治疗师. 我就能把我的病人推荐给退伍军人管理局. 它确实是最不可思议的医疗保健系统. 没有其他国家能提供我们所提供的.”

照顾那些保卫我们国家的人是伦道夫的个人责任. She is quick to give veterans her contact information so they can directly reach out to her with questions or concerns about their medical care.

“It’s always amazing to me when I have a Vietnam vet email me saying, ‘Hey I need help. 我中风住院了. 你能帮我吗??’”她说. “There’s no better feeling than helping a veteran through the process of getting assistance and making them aware of the benefits available to them. I may not have all the answers, but I do have a network of people I can reach out to. 这就是我的动力.”

Randolph said some of her most poignant memories are of treating the combat wounded from the most recent wars. “我的一些病人失去了四肢. 我记得当时在想‘我们可以做到. 我们可以帮助他们.’ I don’t ever use the term ‘new normal’ because it’s never going to be normal for these patients. I help them get to the point where they feel confident to start rediscovering their lives.”

One of Randolph’s patients lost both his arms above the elbows and was completely blind and paralyzed on one side from a traumatic brain injury. “His wife has just delivered their third child and I wanted him to know he would be able to hold his baby girl,”她说。. “我们给他装上了义肢，并把他送到退伍军人事务部进行失明康复. 这只是成千上万个故事中的一个. 能够为他和每一个遇到我的病人服务是一种福气.”

伦道夫甚至还促进了对女性假肢部件的研究. “A female veteran came to me and was having trouble finding prosthetic components for her artificial limb because of her height,”她说。. “The smallest foot they could find was a seven and a half and she only wore a five and a half. 她被迫在脚上穿不同尺寸的鞋子，这并不理想.” 

因为这种相互作用, Randolph began looking into the issue and found the majority of all adult prosthetic components were made for the 50th percentile man. 她立即开始呼吁制造商做出改变.

“更重要的是, I began to look at the literature which revealed there is very little written about the needs of female amputees,伦道夫说. “I’m now working on bringing this to the attention of the right people so we can get funding from Congress specifically mandated for female amputation research.”

除了为我们的退伍军人提供富有同情心的照顾, Randolph served two years as the White House physical therapist for former President George W. 布什. “It was humbling and yet exciting to be in the White House caring for the most powerful leader in the free world,”她说。. “对于一个来自肯塔基州的农场女孩来说，这一点也不错!”

“这就是我职业生涯的真谛，”兰多夫继续说道. “I’ve had the honor of caring for  all ranks in the military – from privates to Joint Chiefs, 以及国家行政部门的领导人, 立法, 及司法部门. 但我从他们身上都学到了东西. Every single person I’ve worked with has given me back more than I could have ever given them.”