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59th MDW: Patient and Family Partnership Council works to improve patient experience
October 25, 2021 — The Patient and Family Partnership Council meets quarterly to discuss matters of patient experience, evaluate current processes and make changes to better the conditions of the San Antonio Market Military Treatment Facilities... MORE

The council meets quarterly to discuss matters of patient experience, evaluate current processes and make changes to better the conditions of the San Antonio Market Military Treatment Facilities.

Reducing the stigma, encouraging mental health care in the military
May 19, 2021 — In the military, the stigma of mental health is grounded in the cultural misperception that a service member must have "zero defects" to be mission-ready. While the Department of Defense strives to identify and eliminate barriers to care that service members face regarding mental health treatment, stigma remains a significant issue within the military... MORE

MHS GENESIS Patient Portal expands new features
April 9, 2021 — MHS GENESIS' patient portal is rapidly increasing in size, capability and usability... MORE

DOD experts explain science behind COVID-19 vaccines
February 2, 2021 — Almost six weeks after the Food and Drug Administration issued emergency use authorization for the first two COVID-19 vaccines, many questions have arisen concerning their efficacy in attacking the SARS-CoV-2 virus and deadly COVID-19 disease. To better understand how COVID-19 vaccines work, MHS Communications spoke to two medical experts who have been intimately involved in the Department of Defense’s effort to develop and roll out vaccines for Americans... MORE

DHA director visits JBSA vaccination sites, discusses medical market certification
January 26, 2021 — Joint Base San Antonio’s role in Operation Warp Speed, the whole-of-nation response to COVID-19, and ongoing vaccination efforts were the highlight of a visit by U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Place, director of the Defense Health Agency, this week. MORE

Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Place, Director, Defense Health Agency, talks with Spc. Aaron Neuenschwander, health care specialist, at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Jan. 20, 2021.

DHA director visits JBSA vaccination sites, discusses medical market certification
January 25, 2021 — Joint Base San Antonio’s role in Operation Warp Speed, the whole-of-nation response to COVID-19, and ongoing vaccination efforts were the highlight of a visit by U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Place, director of the Defense Health Agency, last week... MORE

Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Place, Director, Defense Health Agency, talks with Army Lt. Col. Elizabeth Markelz, Chief of Infectious Disease, and Army Lt. Col. Robert Walter, Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Jan. 20, 2021. Place said there is no location in DoD that has seen more COVID-positive cases or COVID-positive workload than the medical facilities at JBSA, lauding the relationship between the military health system here and their involvement in the community.

DHA launches new 59th MDW/Wilford Hall website
September 3, 2020 — The Defense Health Agency launched 74 new military hospital and clinic Air Force websites Sept. 1, including one for the 59th Medical Wing/Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center. Each website transitioned to the TRICARE domain to provide a standardized patient experience across the Military Health System... MORE

The transition to the TRICARE.mil domain incorporates new layouts and adds helpful features to enhance the user experience and provide easier access to information about the local military hospital or clinic and the TRICARE benefit in one place.

DOD medical officials outline COVID-19 testing approach
July 31, 2020 — Though the rate of confirmed positive COVID-19 tests among those in uniform is lower than that of the nation's civilian population, the most junior service members have a slightly higher rate than that of their civilian counterparts, the medical advisor to the Defense Department's coronavirus task force said... MORE

A soldier with the 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade receives a test for COVID-19 at a mobilization station at Fort Hood, Texas, July 9, 2020.

Blood donors urged to continue giving lifesaving donations
April 3, 2020 — At Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, the Akeroyd Blood Center can be reached at 210-295-4655, while at JBSA-Lackland, the Armed Services Blood Bank Center-San Antonio can be contacted at 210-292-8145... MORE

Defense health officials detail COVID-19 aid effort
March 20, 2020 — Senior Department of Defense health officials detailed what the department is doing to support the whole-of-government assault on the coronavirus pandemic... MORE

Surgeon general reaffirms promise of quality care during DHA transfer
December 9, 2019 — The military's top health officials testified before Congress Dec. 5 on the ongoing transfer of healthcare systems to the Defense Health Agency... MORE

Col. Adrienne Ari, an optometrist at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, performs an eye examination Sept. 19, 2019. In October 2018, the Army, Navy and Air Force started the process to transfer the administration and management of their military medical treatment facilities to DHA. Phase II of that transition was completed this fall with roughly half of the MTFs in the continental U.S. now under the DHA. All other hospitals and clinics, including those overseas, will follow suit by 2021.

Air Force transitions all U.S. military treatment facilities to DHA administration and management
October 30, 2019 — This October, U.S.-based Air Force military treatment facilities transferred administration and management to the Defense Health Agency. Congress directed this transfer in the fiscal year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act... MORE

This October, U.S.-based Air Force military treatment facilities transferred administration and management to the Defense Health Agency. (U.S. Air Force illustration)

Defense Health Agency changes leadership
September 5, 2019 — Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Place became the third director of the Defense Health Agency Sept. 4 in a ceremony at Defense Health Headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia. He succeeds Navy Vice Adm. Raquel Bono, who is retiring after 36 years of service and has been the DHA director since 2015. ... MORE

Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Place, the new director of the Defense Health Agency, previously served in DHA as director of the National Capital Region Medical Directorate, the transitional Intermediate Management Organization, and the interim assistant director for health care administration.

Military health care consolidation moves to next phase
August 29, 2019 — The Defense Health Agency will take the next step this fall in evolving health care across the Military Health System, which oversees the care and well-being of some 9.5 million people, including service members, families and retirees... MORE

A health care provider meets with a patient at William Beaumont Army Medical Center on Fort Bliss, Texas, March 17, 2017.

DOD to begin next major phase of military hospital consolidation
August 27, 2019 — The Department of Defense is preparing for the next major step in consolidating military hospitals and clinics under a single agency, one of the largest organizational changes within the U.S. military in decades... MORE

Lt. Col. Juli Fung-Hayes (center), a U.S. Army Reserve emergency medicine physician with the 2nd Medical Brigade, leads a medic team from the 396th Combat Support Hospital, headquartered at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, through a trauma and critical care scenario in a field hospital during a promotional photo shoot for Army Reserve marketing and recruiting at Fort Hunter Liggett, California, July 18, 2018.

For healthy older adults, new shingles vaccine is worth the wait
August 16, 2019 — Availability of the new shingles vaccine is improving across the Military Health System, according to Defense Health Agency Immunization Healthcare. The vaccine, Shingrix, is recommended for healthy adults 50 and older to prevent the painful skin rash that can have debilitating long-term effects for older people... MORE

Pharmacist Angelina Cox prepares a dose of shingles vaccine to administer to a TRICARE beneficiary.

Sailor 360 hosts cardboard boat race at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston
June 11, 2019 — Sailors from the Navy Medicine Training Support Command, Defense Health Agency and Navy Medicine Education, Training and Logistics Command competed in a cardboard boat race at the Medicine Education Training Campus pool May 24... MORE

Sailors assigned to Navy Medicine Training Support Command, Defense Health Agency and Navy Medicine Education, Training and Logistics Command completed in a cardboard boat race as part of a Sailor 360 event at the Medicine Education Training Campus. The event was part of Sailor 360, a Navy initiative to develop innovative and creative command-developed leadership programs.

Defense Health Agency director discusses healthcare transformation at BAMC town hall
May 21, 2019 — U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Raquel Bono, Defense Health Agency director, held a town hall meeting at Brooke Army Medical Center May 14 to answer questions about the military health system transformation and how it will further improve healthcare delivery for warfighters, family members and military retirees... MORE

U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Raquel Bono, Defense Health Agency director, discusses the DHA transition during a town hall meeting at Brooke Army Medical Center May 14. BAMC will transition under DHA command and authority Oct. 1.

Health care transition looks to improve processes for wartime missions, beneficiaries
April 10, 2019 — At the direction of Congress, the military health care system is going through a substantial set of changes in its structure and how it will operate, said Robert Daigle, the Department of Defense Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation director... MORE

At the direction of Congress, the military health care system is going through a substantial set of changes in its structure and how it will operate, said Robert Daigle, the Department of Defense Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation director.

DHA director: patient care will remain steadfast despite staff cuts
April 8, 2019 — Given proposed military medical staffing reductions, the Defense Health Agency and the services are working together closely so access to care and availability of health services are consistently maintained for beneficiaries, the DHA director said on Capitol Hill April 3... MORE

Air Force Capt. (Dr.) Lauren Lee examines Faunia Rodriguez at the Brooke Army Medical Center Hematology/Oncology Clinic Nov. 6, 2018.