DHA Director’s Update for October 2023
Teammates,
We recognize that October – and Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) – began just a few hours after we gratefully avoided a federal government shutdown. We appreciate the preparations that so many of you made to ensure health care delivery was sustained, and other important operations were continued. And, we’re equally appreciative that those plans were not needed.
With that effort in our rear-view mirror right now, there are a number of important steps we are taking to move our organization forward. Some of the changes involve our DHA headquarters, and some address the establishment of Defense Health Networks (DHN) as an intermediate organization to manage MTFs. All of these actions fall under the banner of “DHA Advancement.”
The organizational changes we’re introducing are the culmination of a comprehensive assessment that included consultation and input from leaders in the DHA, the Military Departments, Health Affairs and other senior leaders. The purpose of the DHA Advancement strategy is straightforward – to be better organized for execution rather than transition; to establish a manageable span of control over our global operations; and to align responsibility with the leaders who are most accountable for success.
Today, we’re addressing changes with the most direct impact on our field operations – the stand-up of our DHNs.
Our first step realigns the former 20 medical markets into nine DHNs. Each DHN is now led by a general or flag officer – with the Military Department authority to direct personnel and the DHA authority to manage resources to best support our MTFs with the greatest needs. You can find the realignment details here: https://www.health.mil/About-MHS/Defense-Health-Networks
My predecessor, LTG Ron Place, would often say in his presentations to military medical audiences that, “There is no ‘Us vs Them.’ It’s just us.” He was speaking to the idea that our success in military medicine is interdependent, and that one decision can ripple across the entire system. This organizational change recognizes this fact, and better aligns all of us with a shared mission.
The establishment of DHNs is one important step, after our transition period, in updating how we manage our health system for the longer term. There are other steps we’ve taken in the last several weeks to fundamentally change how we deliver care – using technology, contract authorities, and incentives. I will have other announcements in my November message about the changes unfolding in our care delivery model, and some early “proof-of-concept” efforts for developing new approaches to taking care of our people.
In the coming days, my Deputy – Dr. Mike Malanoski – will share with you the details on changes in our headquarters. I am grateful for the contributions of so many people who’ve helped shape our DHA Strategy and who also ensured our organization is best aligned to execute on our strategy and bring meaning to our tagline: Anytime, Anywhere – Always.
DHA…In Support!
Telita Crosland
LTG, US Army
Director, Defense Health Agency
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