New Management: Defense Health Agency Ushers in New Era for NHC Corpus Christi

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX, UNITED STATES

Story by Dale Davis

Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi, Texas

The Defense Health Agency will officially assume responsibility for administration and management of Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi on Oct. 1, 2019. 
The transition is part of the Military Health System’s ongoing transformation efforts called for by Congress in the National Defense Authorization Acts of Fiscal Years 2017 and 2019 to improve the readiness of the U.S. military and improve the care provided to patients. 
The ultimate goal of this transition is to create a more integrated, efficient, and effective system of readiness and health within the Defense Department. 
“From a patient perspective, most of these changes should go unnoticed,” said Navy Vice Adm. Raquel C. “Rocky” Bono, DHA director. “Patients can expect the same high quality, trusted care they’ve come to know at our military hospitals and clinics. Providers can expect to focus on practicing medicine and maintaining their preparedness in the event of crisis.” 
The transition of more than 430 Army, Navy and Air Force hospitals and clinics to DHA is taking place in phases. The process began Oct. 1, 2018, when the hospitals and clinics at Fort Bragg, Pope Field, and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina; Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida; Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi; and Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina transitioned to DHA. 
These facilities joined Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Virginia, which are original elements of DHA. On Oct. 1, 2019, DHA will assume management of all military hospitals and clinics in the continental U.S. 
“This transition to the DHA is one of the most significant changes Navy Medicine has seen in decades, but we are working diligently to ensure it is seamless and virtually unnoticeable to our patients,” said NHCCC Commanding Officer Capt. Eric Evans. “Providing our service members, retirees and family members with the best possible patient care experience is, and always will be, our number one priority at Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi.” 
Specifically, DHA will be responsible for all budgetary matters; information technology; health care administration and management; administrative policy and procedure; and military medical construction. 
These reforms will drive better integration and standardization of care. Patients will receive consistent, high- quality health care no matter where they are stationed. Throughout the transition, DHA’s mission remains to support the warfighter, care for warfighter families, and care for the patient.