A 20-Year Friendship Is Bringing a New Approach to Wound Rehabilitation at Walter Reed

Two Uniformed Services University classmates reunite to expand advanced laser and rehabilitation care for wounded warriors at Walter Reed.

Left: Air Force Reserve Col. (Dr.) Thomas M. Beachkofsky performs a dermatologic skin examination. Right: Army Col. (Dr.) Austin Cox takes part in a laser cutaneous rehabilitation session during his two-week training at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa, Florida. (Courtesy photos)

September 2, 2026 submitted to USU News

More than two decades after they met as medical students and lab partners at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), Army Col. (Dr.) Austin Cox and Air Force Reserve Col. (Dr.) Thomas M. Beachkofsky have reunited around a shared mission: advancing dermatologic rehabilitation for the nation's wounded warriors. 

Cox, assistant dean for Admissions and Recruitment at USU and a dermatologist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), recently completed an intensive two-week training program at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa, Florida, under the mentorship of Beachkofsky, director of Dermatology Laser Surgery and Cutaneous Rehabilitation. The training marks a significant step toward establishing a comprehensive Cutaneous Rehabilitation and Dermatology Laser Surgery program at WRNMMC, expanding access to advanced rehabilitative dermatologic care for active-duty service members and their families throughout the National Capital Region.

The James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital has developed one of the nation's leading interdisciplinary cutaneous rehabilitation programs. It brings together dermatology, plastic surgery, rehabilitation medicine, prosthetics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, burn specialists, oncology, and other disciplines to restore function, reduce pain, and improve quality of life for veterans living with the long-term effects of combat injuries, burns, traumatic amputations, complex surgical scars, radiation injury, and other challenging conditions.

Under Beachkofsky's leadership, the program has become internationally recognized for pioneering the use of advanced laser and energy-based technologies in rehabilitation medicine.

His work has been presented at scientific meetings around the world and published in more than 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts, helping define a rapidly evolving field. The focus is functional: restoring mobility, reducing symptoms, and improving quality of life for patients with complex injuries, rather than improving appearance alone.

Army Col. (Dr.) Austin Cox, foreground, with his first patient, and USU MD/PhD student 2nd Lt. Mikayla Bridges (back left), and Dr. Maria Munoz from WRNMMC (back right) at a recent dermatology laser appointment at WRNMMC.(Courtesy photo)

For Beachkofsky, the collaboration reflects how military medicine should work when knowledge crosses between services. "One of the greatest privileges in military medicine is seeing knowledge shared across services for the benefit of those who serve," Beachkofsky said. "Watching a longtime friend and fellow USU classmate develop the expertise to bring this level of care to Walter Reed is incredibly rewarding."

For Cox, the training is a foundation for building a sustainable program that can deliver comprehensive rehabilitative laser care to service members recovering from complex injuries.

He described the two weeks in Tampa as a model to carry north. "The opportunity to learn directly from one of the nation's most established cutaneous rehabilitation programs has been invaluable," Cox said. "Our goal is to build a program at Walter Reed that reflects the same interdisciplinary philosophy and commitment to innovation, ensuring our patients have access to the highest level of rehabilitative dermatologic care."

The collaboration builds on a longstanding relationship between the institutions. For years, Beachkofsky has worked closely with WRNMMC and its Department of Dermatology, supporting military graduate medical education through clinical rotations at the Veterans' Hospital and working with Army and Navy dermatology leadership to advance laser surgery and rehabilitative care.

As the new program takes shape in Bethesda, its reach will extend beyond two physicians and two institutions. Service members recovering from burns, combat injuries, surgery, cancer treatment, and other complex conditions will gain access to the same rehabilitative therapies that have improved care for thousands of veterans.

For two members of USU's class of 2008, the partnership closes a long loop, from lab partners who shared a bench to colleagues building better care for wounded service members at Walter Reed.