The Air Force https://www.airforcemedicine.af.mil is in the process of transitioning hospitals and clinics to the Defense Health Agency (DHA) https://www.health.mil/dha. DHA has assumed administrative and management responsibilities for a handful of hospitals and clinics as part of the Military Health System reforms as mandated by Congress.
The Keesler Medical Center in Mississippi is the first hospital in the Air Force to transition. The remaining facilities currently administered by the armed services includes more than 50 hospitals and 300 clinics within the Military Health Service. These facilities will be phased in under DHA on a rolling basis over the next few years.
“The 81st MDG at Kessler was the first in robotics surgery in DOD and is now the only training platform for robotics in DOD,” reports Air Force Col. Debra A. Lovette, 81st Training Wing Commander.
The other Air Force hospitals and clinics transitioning under DHA’s management during the first phase include:
- 43rd Medical Squadron at Pope Field in North Carolina
- 628th MDG at Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina
- 4th MDG at Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
- Fort Belvoir Community Hospital
The next phase will involve other hospitals and clinics in the Eastern U.S and should be completed by October 1, 2019. Subsequent phases will include hospitals and clinics in the Western U.S to be phased in by October 1, 2020, followed by overseas medical facilities by October 1, 2021.