DHA
A Message from Acting DHA Director, Dr. David Smith: DHA’s Spring 2025 Hospital Safety Grades Are In!
Teammates,
The Defense Health Agency continues to partner with the Leapfrog Group – one of many avenues in which we transparently share our performance and compare ourselves to other hospitals and health systems across the country.
On May 1st, Leapfrog released their Spring 2025 Hospital Safety Grades. These grades are based on national standards for hospital safety and highlight risks that patients may face in a health care setting, including preventable medical errors and infections.
We show excellent performance measured against our peers, and against ourselves over time. In the Spring 2025 ratings, 32% of participating hospitals in the United States received the highest grade. Of the eligible military hospitals participating in the grading assessment, 73% received an “A” grade. And this 73% mark is up from 43% of our facilities receiving an “A” in Spring 2024.
The 16 military hospitals that received an “A” grade in Spring 2025 are:
· 81st Medical Group, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi
· 673d Medical Group, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
· Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center, Fort Belvoir, Virginia
· Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Fort Campbell, Kentucky
· Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas
· Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Cavazos, Texas
· Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Eisenhower, Georgia
· Evans Army Community Hospital, Fort Carson, Colorado
· Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington
· Martin Army Community Hospital, Fort Benning, Georgia
· Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
· Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Virginia
· Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California
· Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
· William Beaumont Army Medical Center, Fort Bliss, Texas
· U.S. Naval Hospital Guam, Guam
Our published article is available on dha.mil at: https://dha.mil/News/2025/05/01/16/50/Sixteen-Military-Hospitals-Receive-Leapfrogs-Highest-Safety-Grade.
As in the past, there are some participating MTFs who would have received an “A” grade, but the volume of care didn’t allow them to be publicly reported due to the minimum reporting requirements. Those hospitals include:
- Winn Army Community Hospital, Fort Stewart, Georgia
- U.S. Navy Hospital Rota, Spain
- Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital, Fort Johnson, Louisiana
- 374th Medical Group, Yokota Air Base, Japan
- General L. Wood Army Community Hospital, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
- Irwin Army Community Hospital, Fort Irwin, California
- U.S. Naval Hospital Naples, Italy
- 88th Medical Group, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
- Brian D. Allgood Army Community Hospital, Korea
- U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella, Italy
There is a lot of effort at the MTF, DHN, and DHA Headquarters level to collect, validate and report this data – but it’s worth it. To our medical teams, to our leaders in the Department, and most of all – to our patients.
Thank you all for your commitment to high quality and safe care in the Military Health System…it shows every day!
V/R, Dave
Dr. David Smith, M.D.
Acting Director, Defense Health Agency
A Message from the Acting DHA Director
Teammates,
I am honored to assume the responsibility as the acting Director of the Defense Health Agency. The DHA’s mission as a critical enabler of military readiness does not change. Supporting the warfighter is our #1 priority, and your professionalism, teamwork, and support will continue to ensure service members are fit to fight tonight and provide high quality, safe care to all our beneficiaries.
DOD leaders have begun the process of looking at candidates to serve as the 5th Director of the DHA with the intent to announce a nominee as soon as possible.
I share your collective passion for our mission and our critical support to the warfighter along with their families and all our beneficiaries. Our strength lies in our unity and our commitment to excellence. Please continue to focus on priority tasks and support each other as we navigate through this period of transition.
I look forward to working with all of you during this period and am grateful for your service. Thank you.
Very respectfully,
Dr. Dave Smith
Acting Director
Defense Health Agency
A Message from the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs—DHA Director Transition Announcement
Colleagues,
This morning, Army Lieutenant General (LTG) Dr. Telita Crosland, the fourth Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA), is beginning her retirement. I want to thank LTG Crosland for her dedication to the nation, to the Military Health System, and to Army Medicine for the past 32 years.
I have designated Dr. David Smith, the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, as the Acting Director of the DHA while the Department conducts the normal nomination process. Dr. Smith is a steady hand with decades of experience in the Military Health System in and out of uniform. I ask everyone to support Dr. Smith and the entire DHA team as we stabilize and strengthen our system serving the most lethal fighting force on the planet. Dr. Smith’s biography is available on Health.mil.
I am confident the DHA will continue to improve health care in support of our beneficiaries and rise to meet complex security challenges worldwide. Thank you for all you do for the Department of Defense and our great nation.
Respectfully,
Stephen Ferrara, M.D.
Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog 