Complete Story
04/05/2024
Immediate Past President
Rod Fontenette, MD FACEP
Lt Col Rod Fontenette earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Maryland University College Asian Division while serving on active duty and stationed at Misawa AB, Japan. He enlisted into the United States Air Force right after high school in July 1997. Initially, he served on active duty as a jet engine mechanic working to repair the engines of the A-10 and F-16 and then crossed trained over to become a medical technician (4NO) in the Emergency Department at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio, TX (2002-2004). He then accepted a four-year HPSP scholarship to attend medical school at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, La. He received his Doctor of Medicine from LSUHSC School of Medicine in 2008. After graduation, he reported to Wright Patterson Air Force Base as an Emergency Medicine Resident (2008-2011). Upon completion of residency, he then completed a two-year multidisciplinary Critical Care fellowship with Indiana University Health at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, IN (2011-2013).
Lt Col Fontenette reported to the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, OH at the Center for the Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills (CSTARS) teaching at the validation platform as cadre. During this time, he deployed twice as a member of the Tactical Critical Care Evacuation Team (TCCET).
In 2017, Lt Col Fontenette had a permanent change of station (PCS) to Travis Air Force Base in northern California where he now serves as the Emergency Medicine Associate Program Director in the integrated emergency medicine residency program with UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine. This is a three-year program where active-duty military residents work besides their civilian co-residents caring for critically ill and injured patents in northern California. Lt. Col Fontenette serves as Volunteer Clinical Academic Faculty with UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine.
During his time at Travis Air Force Base, Lt Col Fontenette has deployed twice. Once to the Horn of Africa as a TCCET team member in Djibouti and the second deployment was to Ramstein, Germany as a member of a Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCATT) where he served as the Theater Director. He also deployed in support of multiple humanitarian missions as well as team lead for a COVID-19 medical support team to central California where he and his team integrated into a civilian hospital caring for patients with COVID-19 at the height of the pandemic.
Lt Col Fontenette is board-certified in Emergency Medicine and Critical Care and is an Assistant Professor of Military and Emergency Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
