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The Defense Health Agency is a joint, integrated Combat Support Agency that enables the Army, Navy, and Air Force medical services to provide a medically ready force and ready medical force to Combatant Commands in both peacetime and wartime. The DHA uses the principles of Ready Reliable Care to advance high reliability practices across the Military Health System by improving our system operations, driving innovative solutions, and cultivating a culture of safety.
Our Mission & Vision
Mission
The Defense Health Agency supports our Nation by improving health and building readiness -- making extraordinary experiences ordinary and exceptional outcomes routine.
Vision
Unrelenting pursuit of excellence as we care for our joint force and those we are privileged to serve. Anytime, Anywhere—Always.
What We Do
The DHA’s global workforce of almost 130,000 civilians and military personnel is committed to medical excellence, health care improvement and ensuring military personnel are ready to perform combat operations and humanitarian missions at home and abroad.
At-a-Glance, the DHA:
- Manages authority, direction, and control of military hospitals and clinics worldwide with an operating budget of approximately $16.9 billion in FY23. | See Current Stats
- Delivers agile and scalable combat support capabilities to the Combatant Commanders and Joint Force, while providing comprehensive care and military health benefit entitlements to eligible beneficiaries.
- Manages the execution of the Unified Medical Budget. The UMB for FY23 is $55.8 billion, or approximately 7.2% of the overall DOD $773 billion budget.
- Manages the DOD health plan, TRICARE, totaling another $18.5 billion.
- Manages an $11 billion-a-year medical supply chain that supplies close to 560,000 medical devices to the Joint Force.
Visit the History of the DHA Timeline to learn more about the Defense Health Agency.
Our Priorities
- Enabling Combat Support to the Joint Force in Competition, Crisis, or Conflict
- Building a Modernized, Integrated, and Resilient Health Delivery System
- Dedicated and Inspired Teams of Professionals Driving Military Health's Next Evolution
Enterprise Support Activities
DHA supports the Military Departments and the Combatant Commands through the provision of enterprise support activities, providing medical capabilities across the Joint Force. Those activities include:
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Video
Mar 23, 2023
Introducing the DHA Minute, a monthly news product for the Defense Health Agency team. Learn more about the DHA Senior Enlisted Leader Change of Responsibility ceremony, DHA's new leadership team, and a historic milestone in our Agency’s history as we celebrate Women’s History Month.
Video
Mar 3, 2023
Introducing the DHA Minute, a monthly news product for the Defense Health Agency team. Learn more about the new Director’s priorities for the agency in this clip.
Video
Feb 15, 2023
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland, director of the Defense Health Agency, shared her vision for DHA’s future, her priorities, and the growing role of technology during remarks presented at the annual meeting of AMSUS, the society for federal health professionals, held in National Harbor, Maryland, Feb. 14, 2023.
Article
Feb 3, 2023
The new Defense Health Agency director pinned on her third star during a ceremony at Fort Myer Memorial Chapel, Virginia, on Jan. 20, 2023.
Video
Jan 17, 2023
Introducing the DHA Minute, a monthly news product for the Defense Health Agency team. Learn more about the new Director’s vision and mission for the agency in this clip.
Article
Jan 4, 2023
The new director of the Defense Health Agency, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Telita Crosland accepted her new role as leader of the Department of Defense’s medical agency.
Video
Jan 3, 2023
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Telita Crosland becomes the fourth director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA) in a ceremony Jan. 3, 2023, at Defense Health Headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia.
Article
Nov 18, 2022
Jacobs, lead paramedic with the 96th Medical Group, Eglin Air Force Base, becomes the first Defense Health Agency civilian employee to receive the award. “It’s an honor and unexpected,” said Jacobs. “I was really surprised.”
Video
Oct 12, 2022
MHS Minute | September 2022
Article
Oct 6, 2022
Defense Health Agency celebrates its 9th year; continues to grow military medical mission.
Photo
May 10, 2022
Defense Health Agency (DHA) Director Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Ron Place, left, swears in Dr. Michael Malanoski as new DHA Deputy Director, in Falls Church, Virginia, May 9, 2022.
Article
May 10, 2022
The Defense Health Agency welcomed Dr. Michael Malanoski as its new Deputy Director May 9. He joins the DHA from the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, the headquarters command for Navy medicine, where he served as Executive Director since 2015.
Article
Oct 20, 2021
Several conversations involving senior leaders from the Defense Health Agency at the Association of the United States Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., centered around the future of health care technology.
Article
Oct 1, 2021
Oct. 1 marked the 8th anniversary of the founding of the Defense Health Agency, the U.S. military’s only medical combat support agency. Director Army Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Ronald Place said the evolution, growth and success the agency has experienced since also comes with greater expectations, greater demand and ever-increasing responsibility going forward.
Article
Aug 19, 2021
The DHA will reveal a new flag and seal in a ceremony August 20 to signify the unity of all services under one joint combat support agency.
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Last Updated: November 01, 2023