FORT BLISS, Texas, July 20, 2016 — More than 30 years ago in the small Mississippi town of Tylertown, young Stacey Causey wrote a career-focused research paper. What was a random selection from a list of professions turned out to be fortuitous for the high-school student.

Today, Col. Stacey Causey is the chief of pharmacy at William Beaumont Army Medical Center here. An arbitrary choice at Tylertown High School later developed into his livelihood and passion, leading to his recent promotion to make him one of 12 pharmacists in the Army holding the rank of colonel.

Prior to being commissioned in the Army, Causey served as an Air Force pharmacy specialist after graduating high school. Upon completion of his tour, he attended the University of Mississippi and was part of the university’s Army ROTC program.

Causey served as a combat medic in the Mississippi Army National Guard with the 631st Field Artillery Brigade while attending the university. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant after graduating in 1995.

‘He Teaches You the Right Way’

“He has accomplished a lot,” Army Maj. Jaleh Ghalandarysafavi, the pharmacy department’s deputy chief, said of Causey. “He teaches you the right way, and the right way is not always the easy way.”

William Beaumont Army Medical Center’s pharmacy service extends well beyond the hospital, staffing pharmacies at five outlying clinics and at Freedom Crossings, the Defense Department’s largest post exchange. It also actively supports the Express Scripts prescription home delivery program. Under Causey’s leadership, the pharmacy has undergone numerous improvements, including increasing patient satisfaction from 73 to 83 percent over a year’s time. The pharmacy often is the last stop during patient encounters, so increasing patient satisfaction by 7 percent is a commendable feat for Causey’s soldiers and staff.

“The patient is tired and ready to go home,” said Ghalandarysafavi, who hails from Tehran, Iran. “The positive effect we have on the patient at the very last minute to have them leave satisfied -- it’s huge.”

“You need to give everything you have to what you’re doing right now,” said the 49-year-old Causey. “If you perform at your current position, everything else will fall in place.”

Causey said his selection to colonel came as a surprise. He credits his principle of “performing where you land” as a contributor for his continued success as a pharmacist.

Outstanding Manager, Leader, Soldier

“From professional to professional, Causey is an outstanding manager, leader and soldier,” Ghalandarysafavi said. “I have gone through many chiefs. What I have learned from Causey in the past 10 months is much more than I have learned in the past decade.”