A Message from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs

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MHS Colleagues:

August is always a busy month, as many of us juggle demanding work schedules with family summer vacations and getting kids ready to start school again.  I appreciate all the hard work you’re doing to meet the many deadlines and requirements we have to fulfill.

Last week, I had the honor of addressing our IT professionals at the Defense Health Information Technology Symposium in New Orleans, and this week I’m in Florida, speaking at the Military Health System Research Symposium.  These two events represent an important part of a critical priority – that of fostering transparency and collaboration among all the great minds working on advanced research and technology solutions.  Technology advances hold great promise to help us meet a range of evolving needs from delivering greater access to health care at the point of need, to developing more effective treatments, to harnessing the power of data to inform clinical and operational decisions.  Collaboration between government, industry and academia can accelerate these accomplishments and I challenge each of you to support that effort.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank several departing members of my staff, while welcoming new ones.  In the past weeks, we said farewell to: 

  • Mr. Ryan Uyehara, Special Assistant, who provided invaluable counsel and unflagging energy to helping this office stay on top of fast-moving issues,
  • CAPT Marrie Read, USN, MHS Governance Senior Policy Advisor, who managed the variety of governance activities with unflappable professionalism,
  • COL Rich Malish, USA, Military Deputy, who acted in the Chief of Staff capacity while also giving us the benefit of his clinical and operational experience, and
  • LCDR Aaron Hill, USN, Military Assistant, who provided stellar support to the PDASD and the entire office with his strong organizational ability and extensive understanding of issues. 

We thank each of them, wish them well in their new endeavors, and at the same time, warmly welcome our new staff members:

  • COL Kathy Spangler, USA, our new Senior Military Deputy, on board for just over a week but already making an impact,
  • CDR Monica Gonzalez, USN, MHS Governance Senior Policy Advisor, who has capably taken over the responsibilities of managing our governance activities, and
  • LCDR Sierra Nichols, USN, Military Assistant, who in just a few weeks has become indispensable as she provides direct support to Ms. Mullen.

Please make the effort to get to know our new teammates — I’m confident you will find working with them to be very rewarding.  As always, please stay safe as you enjoy the last weeks of summer.

Very Respectfully,

Lester

Lester Martinez-López, M.D., M.P.H.

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs

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