ASDHA
A Message from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
Colleagues:
As this month draws to a close, I wanted to acknowledge the fast pace at which we are all working and start by thanking you for keeping up with the ever-changing and wide-ranging issues we face. I don’t ever want to get so caught up in the pace that I neglect to recognize the effort made every day and the accomplishments that effort yields.
We welcomed more than 2,100 of you to Portland earlier this month for the first MHS Conference in more than a dozen years. All of the feedback so far matches my own view that it was a resounding success – bringing us together to share knowledge, learn, and strengthen the relationships that are such a vital factor in our success. I’m grateful to Hon. Vazarani for kicking off the week, and for the MHS leaders who provided their perspectives in eleven plenary sessions and 64 break-outs. I came away with a better understanding of our opportunities and challenges and with renewed energy and enthusiasm about our ability to meet them. Plenary session recordings and all presentation materials will soon be posted at the conference website. I hope you’ll be happy to know that planning is already underway for next year’s conference.
Spring in Washington D.C. means posture season on the Hill, and we are deep in preparations for our annual presentations to Congress. We have worked hard to develop strong working relationships with Members and staff and look forward to productive discussions with them.
I began this week at an event with Veterans Affairs, announcing an expansion of services at the Keller Army Community Hospital in West Point, NY. Our growing partnership with the VA helps us maintain clinical readiness by increasing access to care for beneficiaries of both agencies – it’s a win for everyone.
Again, thank you for everything you do every day to advance our mission, and as always, stay safe!
Very Respectfully,
Lester
Lester Martínez-López, M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
A Message from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
Colleagues,
This month marks my first full year as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs – and what a year it’s been! With your help, we’ve achieved a great deal in the past twelve months and I want to pause to thank all of you for your support and the effort you make every day to respond to emerging issues while doing the hard work of strategic thinking and long-range planning we need.
I wanted to get a first-hand understanding of our MHS operations around the world and the only way I know how to do that is with in-person visits and candid conversations with our people at all levels. I’ve been privileged to visit a variety of MHS operations from military treatment facilities and labs to academic partners. Without exception, I benefited from honest discussions and blunt feedback, and I thank you for that. Also without exception, I’ve come away from each site visit with a stronger sense of pride in the caliber of the people in the MHS.
Next month, we’ll gather at the MHS Conference, the first one in more than a decade. I look forward to interacting with many of you, and to laying out the road ahead to fulfilling our new MHS Strategy, starting with stabilization, as outlined in the memo from the Deputy Secretary of Defense. I hope you’ve taken the time to read both documents, and come prepared with questions, comments, and insights.
Finally, I’d like to take this chance to welcome our newest leader, Rear Admiral (ret.) Susan M. Orsega, our new Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Services Policy and Oversight. Ms. Orsega comes to us from the Department of Health and Human Services, where she served as principal adviser to the Assistant Secretary for Health and the Surgeon General on all U.S. Public Health Service policies and activities. She’s been a leader in public health for more than thirty years and her strong interagency relationships and professional expertise will help us tremendously as we move forward. Please join me in making her welcome!
Very Respectfully,
Lester
Lester Martínez-López, M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
A Message from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
Colleagues,
Since 1976, our country has designated the month of February as Black History Month, a time to honor and celebrate the contributions of Black and African Americans. Our nation’s military history tells the story of many heroes of color, and military medicine is no exception. I am privileged to work with two such leaders, LTG Telita Crosland, the Director of the Defense Health Agency and the Hon. Dr. Jonathan Woodson, President of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
You can learn more at this link: Black and African Americans in Military Medicine | Health.mil about the long line of Black and African American military medical leaders who forged a path through the barriers of racism, so that others might follow. Did you know the first African American to earn a medical degree had to go to Scotland to do it, and then returned to the U.S. to work alongside Frederick Douglass to end slavery? Or that the first female African American with a medical degree started her career as a nurse, and after the Civil War, dedicated herself to treating freed slaves? Please take a few moments to read about and be inspired by their accomplishments, and think about how you can model respect for diversity and inclusiveness in your daily life.
Very Respectfully,
Lester
Lester Martínez-López, M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
A Message from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
Colleagues,
Happy New Year! I hope that you all enjoyed the holiday season and got some much deserved rest and relaxation.
As we enter this new year, I will tell you that 2024 will be a pivotal year for our organization, as we build on the accomplishments of last year, particularly the completion of the MHS Strategy and the issuance of the MHS Stabilization Memo from the Deputy Secretary of Defense. These documents are closely related, as the goals of MHS stabilization are tied to the successful implementation of our strategy. We will be talking about these efforts regularly, asking for your help in achieving our objectives and communicating those achievements.
In this first month of the year, I’m asking you to familiarize yourself with the strategy https://health.mil/Reference-Center/Publications/2023/12/15/MHS_Strategic_Plan_FY24_29 and the Stabilization Memo. Strategic decisions about programs and resources should be made through the lens of the four strategic goals outlined in the strategy: Take Care of Our People, Stabilize the MHS, Modernize the MHS, and Integrate MHS Capabilities.
Implementation of the MHS Stabilization Memo is underway with a task force chaired by Dr. David Smith, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Health Readiness Policy and Oversight. The task force’s first job is to jointly develop business rules for determination, resourcing, manning, and accessibility to medical forces to manage and balance risks.
I’ve spent the past ten months visiting our people across the country and around the world. I have listened to your concerns and am determined to keep listening, to deliver improvements, and to make sure you understand what the strategy and stabilization efforts mean to you and what you can do to move us forward. Stay tuned.
Very Respectfully,
Lester
Lester Martínez-López, M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
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