Arlington National Cemetery Veterans Day Program features Amarillo VA Psychiatrist
The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Secretary selected Dr. Michael T. Lambert, a psychiatrist at the Amarillo VA Health Care System, to be featured by VA Secretary Denis McDonough during the Arlington National Cemetery Veterans Day Program Saturday, November 11, 2023.
Dr. Lambert is one of two VA employees selected for this distinguished honor out of several nominations from each VA health care system across the nation.
“This honor is surreal,” said Dr. Lambert. “Good things can only happen with the support and confidence of the top leaders I served under and learned from.”
Dr. Lambert has served Veterans as a VA psychiatrist for 37 years. He graduated from University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas, in 1983 and completed his residency training in Adult Psychiatry in 1987 at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He began his VA career as a VA Chief Psychiatry Resident in 1986, and then spent 20 years as a lead psychiatrist at the Dallas VA Medical Center. In 2008, Dr. Lambert became the Chief of Behavioral Health at Amarillo VA HCS, where he has served for the last 15 years.
Despite the challenges of a highly rural health care system, under Dr. Lambert’s leadership, the Amarillo VA Behavioral Health Service transformed into the highest performing facility in the country. Since 2019, for 11 of the last 19 quarters, Amarillo has ranked number one in the country on Mental Health performance measures. Additionally, Dr. Lambert has generously shared his knowledge with other VA sites across the country and has helped many in improving the quality of their mental health services.
“Dr. Lambert is truly a valuable employee and an outstanding Behavioral Health leader for our Veterans and staff,” said Dr. Rodney S. Gonzalez, Amarillo VA HCS director.
As Dr. Lambert approaches his retirement at the end of this year, he leaves beyond a lasting legacy. Dr. Lambert’s dedication and leadership has led to a consistent culture of excellence that has made a significant difference for good in the lives of many Veterans in the Texas panhandle and beyond.