health.mil

Emily Greene  |  health.mil

February 01, 2012

The 2012 Military Health System (MHS) Conference was held at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 1, 2012. The MHS aims to ensure the medical readiness of U.S. service members, and to provide a ready medical force. — DoD photo by Johnny Bivera

The second day of plenary meetings at the 2012 Military Health System Conference celebrated collaboration with the theme, "Increasing Value Through Integration." The conversation centered around the importance of bringing together multiple contributors for the future success of military medicine and population health with the precedent having been set during the last 10 years of inter-organizational operations.

Surgeon General of the Navy Vice Adm. Matthew Nathan, MD, opened the morning’s session with a vision of the future of military medicine as the armed force transitions from wartime operations to peace. He said that while the military must always stand ready to answer the call to duty abroad, peace time operations and readiness training are equally important.

Nathan spoke of the continuing urgent need for integrated care, alongside the importance of recapturing care from outside the MHS.

"I have seen what happens when the services link arms together," Nathan said. "The synergy of working together is an amazing thing."

Navy Vice Adm. John M. Mateczun, MD, commander, Joint Task Force National Capital Region Medical illustrated Nathan’s message by showing the massive collaborative effort of moving the Walter Reed Army Medical Center to new facilities of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in 2011. He described the process as, "no small miracle."

"Change is constant for us as we work in the healing profession," Mateczun said. "Change is hard, but it makes everything better in the end."

In response to the call for change and the necessity of financial stewardship, Dr. Denis A. Cortese, director, Arizona State University, Healthcare Delivery and Policy Program and former Mayo Clinic CEO posed some innovative possibilities to address the transformation the MHS is undergoing.

Cortese identified the primary question; how will the MHS provide high quality care while reducing costs? His answer included new ways of thinking about the provision of care, ensuring individualized attention to patients, continuing to evolve the Patient Centered Home concept and using technology in new and creative ways.

Cortese also addressed the need to find a better way to pay outside sources for value, defining value as, "those who get the best patient adjusted outcomes at the lowest overall costs." He maintained that when the highest value providers are awarded appropriately for care provided, an environment of high value care will emerge in response. He said factors that determine the highest value include patient outcomes, safety, quality of service, health and productivity.

As the MHS transitions into a new era of health encompassing wellness and health care, the speakers’ messages pointed the way towards a military health system environment of collaboration, adaptation and innovation.

In a few days, the 2012 Military Health System conference will be in full swing. Today’s countdown update highlights awards ceremonies that will be held during the conference which runs from Jan. 31 to Feb.2, 2012 at the Gaylord Convention and Conference in National Harbor, Md.

On Tuesday, Jan. 31, three awards will be presented. The Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Military Medicine Award will honor a uniformed MHS physician. The winner possesses the qualities of a caring and compassionate physician by demonstrating ethical behavior, empathy and service to others. Dr. Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of defense for Health Affairs, will present this award.

The USU Excellence in Teaching Awards from the Uniformed Services University of Health Science in Bethesda, Md. will be presented to two military medical facilities for their overall support of the USU’s teaching programs. And, the Department of Defense’s Patient Safety Awards will recognize outstanding efforts to improve the delivery of healthcare to patients.

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the Healthcare Innovation Program Awards will be presented. A total of four individuals – a mix of civilian and military - will be recognized based on innovative programs created at a military health facility to improve access, cost and quality of care to enhance the military readiness of service members.

Finally, the Building Stronger Female Physician Leaders Awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, Feb 2. These annual awards recognize influential female physicians in the military for their accomplishments, leadership and services.

For more on the 2012 MHS conference, to watch plenary session videos and view photos, visit heath.mil/2012mhsconference.

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