Transforming DoD medical care

FALLS CHURCH, Va. - The Military Health System (MHS) is one of America’s largest and most complex health-care delivery systems. It is the world’s pre-eminent military-medical enterprise. Saving lives on the battlefield and caring for 9.5M beneficiaries, MHS is ushering unprecedented reform to military medicine. The Air Force, Army, and Navy have begun transferring the administration and management of their military treatment facilities (MTFs) to the Defense Health Agency. DHA will take charge of MTFs’ and branch health clinics’ administration and management to electronic health record (EHR) employment, and Tricare benefit enhancements - and will be “working hard to provide medical readiness” for war-fighters and health-care delivery to beneficiaries, said Tom McCaffery, principal deputy assistant secretary of DHA. The first phase, on Oct. 1, 2018, included Keesler AFB, Miss. Subsequent phases will be completed by October 2021. DHA will be responsible for purchased care for beneficiaries through the civilian sector and direct care via MTFs. As these reforms move forward, DHA will “continue to deploy MHS GENESIS (the new electronic health record) for the military, said McCaffery. The next scheduled roll out is this fall. System-wide completion is anticipated in 2023. (Source: DHA 01/28/19) Gulf Coast Note: MTFs and clinics across the Gulf Coast include Eglin AFB hospital and Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla.; and Mississippi-based branch health clinics at the 14th Medical Group aboard Columbus AFB, Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, and NAS Meridian; NAS/JRB Belle Chase, La.; and Panama City, NAS Whiting Field, NAS Pensacola, Corry Station, NATTC Pensacola in Florida.