ASDHA
A Message from the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
Colleagues:
Today begins my first full week of returning to the role of Acting ASD HA. I know you all share my appreciation and gratitude for Dr. Lester Martinez-Lopez for his distinguished service, and wish him well in his retirement. It was a privilege to serve as his Principal Deputy, and now an honor to continue the work we began together. The responsibilities of this role are daunting, but I am heartened by the team we have in place and by my absolute confidence in you.
Dr. David Smith will once again assume the responsibilities of the Acting Principal Deputy ASD HA, and I thank him for his willingness to step into this role. Ms. Tracie Lattimore will be the Acting DASD for Health Readiness Policy and Oversight. Ms. Susan Orsega and Mr. Darryl Landreaux, current DASDs round out our leadership team, capably supported by all of you.
Whatever the results of the election tomorrow are, the challenges before the MHS will not change and we must stay the course, guided by our unwavering commitment to serving those entrusted to our care. With your help, the work we’ve begun to implement our strategy will continue, and the MHS will become stronger.
Finally, if you haven’t already voted, I urge you to exercise this most fundamental American right and let your voice be heard tomorrow at the polls.
Thank you again for all that you do in support of the Military Health System and our Warfighters. Your combined efforts truly make the difference.
V/R
Seileen
Seileen M. Mullen
Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
A Message from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
Colleagues:
Today is my last day as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, and I can’t leave without expressing my gratitude to all of you for your support while I was privileged to serve in this office. The people of the Military Health System are its lifeblood – and we in military medicine know the meaning of that analogy! Without your talent, experience, and dedication, fulfilling our sacred mission to take care of our people would be impossible. Each of you have a variety of professional opportunities and options, and the fact that you have chosen service to our county, service to our mission, service to the people we are trusted to care for is something I don’t take for granted. Thank you.
The challenges facing our world, our nation, and our system are great. In my time here, I have worked to create a climate where candid assessment and truth telling is encouraged and rewarded. It’s not always easy, and within the MHS, we don’t always agree on how best to overcome challenges and make the most of opportunities. But to a person, we share a commitment to our mission, to delivering outstanding health care to everyone who depends on us, whether that’s in combat or at home. That sense of mission is what unites us, motivates us, and makes us an outstanding organization.
As Ms. Seileen Mullen once again answers the call, taking on the role of Acting ASD HA, I know that she can count on your continued support, advice, and energy. I’m confident that with her leadership, you will maintain and increase the momentum we’ve achieved together to stabilize and strengthen the MHS.
Again, I thank you for all you do every day, for all the support you generously provided to me, and I wish all of you the best.
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:
I suspect that many of you share my surprise that the summer is already drawing to a close – these past few months have flown by, with long days but short weeks! I know a big part of that is the fact that the pace of our work, far from slowing down over the summer, has remained at a high tempo. I thank each of you for helping me maintain the momentum we’ve worked so hard to generate as we move our strategy forward.
Some of the highlights of the summer include continued site visits to MHS facilities around the world, where I have seen first-hand the challenges we face and learned more about what we need to do to reattract our patient base and stabilize the MHS. I’m encouraged by the developments discussed at the Digital Frontiers Summit last month, and by our continued collaboration with other agencies such as Veterans Affairs and the Food and Drug Administration. As I engage with Members of Congress on a host of issues of concern, I am more and more convinced that the solutions to many of these topics require a “whole of government” approach. Joining forces with our interagency partners strengthens all of us as we develop unified solutions.
Last week, I attended the Defense Health Information Technology Symposium, and this week I’ll close out the month at the Military Health System Research Symposium. Spending time with our technology-focused teammates and our world-class research community is always enlightening and confirms my confidence in our ability to take a systems approach to fulfilling our mission.
Many of our students are already back in school, including the incoming classes at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. This time of year is a busy one for our MTFs, with school physicals, vaccinations, and the inevitable spread of illnesses that happen once people are back in classrooms. Please take an extra minute or two to thank our providers for the excellent care they provide throughout the year to our servicemembers, retirees, and their families.
Enjoy the last few days of summer, 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:
Today, we will pause our busy work lives to celebrate the 248th birthday of our nation’s independence. The Fourth of July is the quintessential American holiday with its parades, cookouts, fireworks, and time with family and friends. While these are all things that make this day memorable each year, it’s also important to remember what we celebrate.
When the Declaration of Independence was written, it was by no means certain that this brash new country with its ideals of equality and freedom would succeed in overthrowing the rule of the King. It would take individual and collective courage, perseverance in the face of hardship and unwavering faith – qualities that to this day embody the people who serve in our Armed Forces and in the Military Health System.
We have undertaken some bold moves ourselves this year and I know that our success can be traced back to those qualities we share with the visionaries of 1776. Our country was founded on ideals that endure these 248 years later. The legacy of courage, love of country, and sustained commitment to those ideals can be seen in every city, town, and rural community across the U.S. and are lived each day throughout the MHS.
On this Independence Day, I am grateful for each of you and the work you do to honor the legacy of our founders. Thank you to those of you who will be on duty tomorrow while the rest of the country celebrates.
Happy Fourth of July! Stay safe this weekend and enjoy this wonderful country.
Very Respectfully,
Lester
Lester Martínez-López, M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
Memorial Day Weekend Message from ASDHA
Colleagues,
As many in our country prepare to welcome summer this weekend, those of us privileged to work in the
Military Health System know that Memorial Day is much more than an extra day off. We take this time to
remember the sacrifices of those who gave their lives in service so that we might remain a free
people. As Secretary Austin said last year at this time, “we hold in our hearts all those who fell to defend
the country that they loved.” Please take a few moments this weekend to reflect on the gratitude we
owe these fallen heroes.
In recent years we have come to more fully recognize that taking care of our people means treating
mental health with the same vigor and attention as physical health. May is Mental Health Awareness
month and I’d like to call attention to the many initiatives within the Department of Defense to advance
mental health care.
We offer a variety of behavioral health (BH) support services and resources. BH services are offered
through military medical treatment facilities (MTFs) and the private sector care network. Available
services include primary care BH, specialty BH, and alcohol and substance use programs as well as
inpatient hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs. Services available outside the MTFs include
Military and Family Life Counseling, Military OneSource, Family Advocacy Program, and inTransition, to
name a few.
The Targeted Care model helps the DoD provide mental health support for service members’ specific
needs, whether it is an individual appointment, group therapy or non-clinical support. It coordinates all
installation resources resulting in increased access to care, reduced wait times for mental health
appointments, increased readiness, and getting the right care at the right time through earlier
intervention. Results from the Targeted Care pilot validated increased BH access to care for those with
higher clinical needs and efficient use of other medical and non-medical helping resources. Beyond the
pilot sites, which are now in sustainment, there are eight additional early adopters and the Defense
Health Agency is currently working toward MHS enterprise adoption.
I am proud of these efforts, while acknowledging that we must always press forward to do more to meet
the mental health needs of our beneficiaries. I thank all of you who are involved in mental health care
for your commitment to this important priority.
I wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy Memorial Day.
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:
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
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