DHA Discusses Changes in Military Medicine at NMCP

PORTSMOUTH, VA, UNITED STATES

05.30.2019

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kris Lindstrom

Naval Medical Center – Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (May 30, 2019) – Vice Adm. Raquel Bono, Defense Health Agency director, visited staff from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) recently, to discuss the transition of military treatment facilities to the Defense Health Agency and centralizing Military Medicine.
“There have been 18 studies since 1948,” Bono said. “Out of those, 15 have recommended that the Military Health System find a way to centralize more of what they were doing.” 
Starting on Oct. 1, the DHA will be responsible for all facilities with respect to budgetary matters, information technology, health care administration and management, administrative policy and procedure and military medical construction. The ultimate goal of this transition for the Department of Defense is a more integrated, efficient and effective system of readiness and health. Bono believes that NMCP is up for the challenge of the transition. 
“That is our objective,” Bono said. “Find a way to maintain our high level of readiness and care while we help our services increase their readiness and lethality. That’s the task at hand. It creates a lot of activity because on top of that, you have a Comfort deployment and you have ongoing campaigns. We have the work of the daily business still at hand. One of the places that is best prepared to handle that kind of activity, are the people here at Portsmouth.” 
The military treatment facility (MTF) way of delivering healthcare will get consolidated into a single agency. This transition aims to strengthen the ability to provide ready medical forces in support of campaigns and operations worldwide, and to improve the medical readiness of combat forces. It also is meant to provide a more standardized experience of care for patients and reduce costs through unity of effort, standardization of medical care, and integration of health care services.
After talking about the transition and integration of DHA to the MTFs, Bono opened up the room to take as many questions as she could. 
“My bias is to get as much input from the people that are actually making it happen,” Bono said. “And incorporating it into our design so we can figure out what the best way is to approach it. It takes a little bit more work but I think it is much more valuable in the long run.” 
As the U.S. Navy’s oldest, continuously-operating military hospital since 1830, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth proudly serves past and present military members and their families. The nationally-acclaimed, state-of-the-art medical center, along with the area’s 10 branch health and TRICARE Prime Clinics, provide care for the Hampton Roads area. The medical center also supports premier research and teaching programs designed to prepare new doctors, nurses and hospital corpsman for future roles in healing and wellness.