Skip to main content

Military Health System

DOD Official Discusses Conditions-Based Reopenings, Future of Telework

Image of Man in full PPE spraying down a chair with sanitizer. Man in full PPE spraying down a chair with sanitizer

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response

Conditions-based reopenings have worked well for the Defense Department to date, and the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness anticipates the same stringent requirements will remain in place.

Matthew Donovan, whose Pentagon office is the epicenter of DOD's anti-COVID-19 fight, said he is pleased with the way service members and their families have responded to the pandemic. He put the experience in context during a socially distanced interview in his Pentagon office.

The Defense Health Agency worked closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention beginning in December, when the first reports of the novel coronavirus surfaced in China. In January, Donovan — then the acting undersecretary — talked with Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper about the virus and the steps DOD had to take.

It was quick.

"My confirmation hearing was March 10, and we were still shaking hands," Donovan said. "On March 23, I was confirmed, and when I got back over here, the whole world had changed."

Esper was clear from the start about his priorities in a pandemic: protect service members and their families, ensure the mission continues, support civilian agencies as they lead the fight against the pandemic.

DOD acted quickly. Italy and South Korea were two of the first places where the virus appeared after China. Esper put in place a stop-movement order that was to last 60 days and then be reevaluated. In April, the virus had spread to the United States and other countries. Many areas locked down, businesses closed and activities cancelled.

But DOD had to continue. Service members still had missions to conduct. The United States had forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Djibouti and many other nations. They had to continue to operate, and DOD personnel worked to ensure they safely could continue their vital missions. 

DOD medical personnel and National Guardsmen assisted the areas hardest hit, with Navy hospital ships deploying to New York and Los Angeles and hospital units moving to New Orleans, Dallas, Seattle and other areas.

Man in mask examining vial
Nathaniel Jackson, a research assistant with the emerging infectious disease branch at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, studies coronavirus protein samples, June 1, 2020. The branch is part of the institute’s effort to produce a COVID-19 vaccine candidate. (Photo By: Mike Walters, Army.)

In May, the White House issued its "Opening Up America Again" guidelines, and DOD went to a conditions-based approach for movement. Areas had to meet certain conditions before the stop-movement order could be eased. That is the situation the department is in today.

"We put out the travel guidance that listed exemptions for moves and … waiver abilities for the Services for people that absolutely had to move," Donovan said. "All through this process, DOD personnel had to follow the latest CDC guidance, and local commanders had to gauge the situation on bases and in the surrounding communities,” he said. 

"As we look forward, we have 231 installations that we're tracking around the world, and 99 of them had their travel restrictions lifted," the undersecretary said. "We continually review this. It's been complicated a little bit lately because of the rolling outbreaks the White House COVID Task Force told us might occur. That has caused some of our installations to go from green back to red because of conditions in the local communities."

DOD is working with other government agencies and private firms to develop a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. Some vaccines are already in large-scale testing, and it is possible that some could be ready by the end of the year. DOD is partnered with the Department of Health and Human Services to produce the approved vaccines to scale. DOD officials are also working with health officials to determine how to vaccinate service members and their families.

"There is, of course, a plan for vaccine distribution for everyone," Donovan said. "Nothing has been finalized, but if you look back at the priority framework that we developed for testing, …that provides a pretty good framework for who we would want to get the vaccinations to as well."

Vaccination is a national decision, he said, and DOD personnel would get the priority assigned to them by national leaders.

One aspect of the pandemic that has been eye-opening to DOD leaders is how effective telework has been. "There have been several pushes across the decades to increase the use of telework, but it never exceeded 5% of the federal workforce," Donovan said. "There has been a lot of skepticism about teleworking on the part of supervisors: How do I ensure that [my workers] are actually doing their work?"

Then the pandemic struck. "We had the impetus to drive to about 95 percent [teleworking] in Personnel and Readiness," Donovan said. "We're still at around the high 70s for teleworking. And guess what? The work got done. And that was even with a tripling of the workload because of COVID."

Donovan noted that productivity in some areas actually increased thanks to teleworking. He said he tips his hat to the Defense Information Systems Agency and DOD's chief information officer for building the network for teleworking.

The success has officials thinking of the way forward, as telework could cut the demand for office space and ease crowding in DOD buildings, he said.

Finally, Donovan said, he is concerned with readiness. He said the services have done an excellent job keeping the "throughput" for recruits during the pandemic. A short pause allowed the services to develop procedures to continue training safely, and it's back on track. "We think there will be minimal effect on service end strength," he said.

The pandemic has had some effect on unit readiness. Some exercises and training events were cancelled due to the virus, but commanders have tried to make up those training events. Still, fewer flight hours, steaming hours and the like can affect readiness, Donovan said. But DOD and service officials did not let that impact crucial missions, he added, and they will watch this readiness issue carefully.

Disclaimer:  Re-published content may be edited for length and clarity.  Read original post.

You also may be interested in...

Malmstrom AFB airmen battle COVID-19, execute the mission

Article
12/8/2020
Soldier wearing protective gear leaning into a car to chat with other soldier

"The whole point of public health is to prevent any type of spread."

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Coronavirus and the COVID-19 Vaccine

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccine Guidance

Policy

This memorandum provides guidance on the provision of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. The Defense Health Agency (DHA) is the lead coordinating DOD Component for executing this guidance, in coordination with the Military Departments and other DOD Components.

COVID-19 Response

Video
11/27/2020
COVID-19 Response

Army Pfc. David Alvarado, assigned to the Javits New York Medical Station (JNYMS), talks about their position at JNYMS in support of the Department of Defense COVID-19 response, April 24, 2020. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, is providing military support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help communities in need. (U.S. Army Video by Cpl. Rachel Thicklin.)

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Coronavirus and the COVID-19 Vaccine

MHS Minute: November 2020

Video
11/27/2020
Image of MHS Minute Carousel

During Warrior Care Month, we reflect on the strength and resilience of our nation's wounded, ill, and injured service members, and recognize the caregivers who support their recovery and rehabilitation.

Recommended Content:

Warrior Care | Coronavirus & the MHS Response

COVID-19 Response2

Video
11/27/2020
COVID-19 Response

Army Spc. Sean Colangelo, assigned to the Javits New York Medical Station (JNYMS), talks about their position at JNYMS in support of the Department of Defense COVID-19 response, April 23, 2020. U.S. Northern Command, through U.S. Army North, is providing military support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help communities in need. (U.S. Army Video by Cpl. Rachel Thicklin)

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Coronavirus and the COVID-19 Vaccine

Holiday Season Guidance to Minimize Spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019

Publication
11/16/2020

This memorandum provides guidance to help protect individuals within the DoD community from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for gatherings and activities during the November to January holiday season.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response

Return to the Workplace Staffing Plan in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Environment

Policy

Establishes the DHA's plan to return to full operations and support the whole-of-government response, during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic

Updated Guidance for Performing Temperature Checks at Military MTFs and DTFs

Publication
10/21/2020

This guidance is an update to Defense Health Agency Return to Full Operations Concept of Operations, V5.0 (June 12, 2020) as it pertains to temperature checks in MTFs and DTFs. Based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), previous guidance directed MTFs to take the temperature of all individuals entering the facility. Effective immediately, temperature checks are not required; however, screening of individuals entering MTFs and DTFs and healthcare personnel on duty in the MTF or DTF is to continue.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response

MHS Minute: Heroes Behind the Mask

Video
10/8/2020
Image of MHS Minute Carousel

In the face of a global threat, healthcare heroes across the MHS have donned their mask, and served on the front line of the battle against COVID-19. Tune in to this month's "MHS Minute" to learn more!

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Coronavirus and the COVID-19 Vaccine

Suicide Impacts Us All – But There Is Help!

Article
9/14/2020
Suicide Impacts Us All – But There Is Help!

September marks Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Recommended Content:

Suicide Prevention | Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Coronavirus and the COVID-19 Vaccine | Warrior Care

From Ghana to Washington, Sailor provides leadership during COVID-19

Article
9/10/2020
From Ghana to Washington, Sailor provides leadership during COVID-19

Acquiring supplies, in general, has been a hurdle worldwide.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Health Readiness & Combat Support | Coronavirus and the COVID-19 Vaccine

The Military Health System Celebrates Labor Day

Video
9/4/2020
Labor Day

Labor Day pays tribute to the American workforce. This year, we pay tribute to the Military Health System Workforce.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Coronavirus and the COVID-19 Vaccine

WRAIR bids farewell to first all-female command team

Article
8/31/2020
Two soldiers, wearing masks, passing a flag

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, WRAIR dove headfirst into efforts to prevent, detect and treat SARS-CoV-2 with 22 research proposals and nearly $75 million dollars in funded projects.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response

Camp Zama veterinary medicine continues during COVID-19

Article
8/28/2020
Two veterinary personnel wearing masks examine a dog

[T]he facility’s team does everything possible to make patients feel comfortable.

Recommended Content:

Veterinary Service | Coronavirus & the MHS Response

Dr. Fauci delivers COVID-19 update at joint Grand Rounds

Article
8/26/2020
Two men in masks; one a military soldier, and the other wearing a suit.

Leading expert gives update on COVID fight to military medical community.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response
<< < ... 16 17 18 19 20  ... > >> 
Showing results 256 - 270 Page 18 of 23
Refine your search
Last Updated: August 15, 2022
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery