Skip to main content

Military Health System

DHA, HA leaders discuss MHS Transformation at AHA panel

Image of Military personnel talking at a podium. Military personnel talking at a podium

Recommended Content:

MHS GENESIS: The Electronic Health Record | Military Health System Transformation | Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Coronavirus and the COVID-19 Vaccine | Readiness Capabilities

Federal health leaders, including the director of the Defense Health Agency and the acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, discussed areas for synergy and collaboration between military and civilian health care partners at a virtual roundtable held by the American Hospital Association April 12.

During a federal health update panel, DHA Director Army Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Ronald Place emphasized the importance of smarter data and information sharing in support of the health care mission.

"We often talk about our interest in creating a more integrated health system, not simply within the Department of Defense, but within the broader American health system," he said.

In doing so, the DHA is looking at multiple and different ways to integrate data sharing both from the Military Health System as well as from outpatient physicians' offices, Place explained.

As an example, Place highlighted MHS GENESIS, the new electronic health record (EHR) system being deployed across the MHS, which the Department of Veterans Affairs will also incorporate.

"In support of that, we're also growing our participation in health information exchanges so that we can more easily share clinical information within our network, with the network, and with other hospitals," he said.

Having one centralized MHS database will facilitate the continuum of care for service members, veterans, and their families across different duty locations and after they retire. It will also provide a centralized repository of medical records that can be shared with DOD and civilian facilities and providers for more efficient, standardized care.

"Integrating health care information is an important attribute for a highly mobile population like ours (military), but really the majority of Americans," said Place.

He added that expanding network capacity and increasing military-civilian partnerships are important areas of mutual interest with potential for collaboration. Getting those right would mean making care available to anyone who needs it, said the DHA director.

"I continue to think there is significant opportunity to develop partnerships that contribute to our readiness and strengthen and deepen our community relationships," he said. They're good for readiness, but they're also good for our relationships with communities as well, he added.

Dr. Terry Adirim, acting assistant secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, expanded on MHS GENESIS in a broader discussion on the MHS Transformation efforts amid responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"COVID-19 has been a challenge for all of us, including the Department of Defense and military medicine," she said. "We not only have to respond to our beneficiaries within DOD, but we've also provided a response to our fellow Americans."

For example, she highlighted DOD's active engagement in vaccinating.

"Our Defense Health Agency has led our military medical departments in establishing a program and all the policies, and we've administered already over 2.6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine" among DOD personnel, she said. "We've also administered several million doses in our support of the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) mission to vaccinate fellow Americans."

Like the civilian sector, she noted, the DOD community has suffered infection rates and deaths as well as seen an increase in mental health impacts from the pandemic, particularly on children. It has likewise incurred major financial costs due to the need to invest in personal protection equipment, pay for testing, and provide health care.

"Despite all these impacts, the DOD has responded admirably and has maintained a high level of readiness, so I have to give a shoutout to my military colleagues," she added.

Adirim also underscored DHA's impact on the civilian sector under Place's leadership, particularly in establishing a joint registry for COVID-19.

"That's been an invaluable resource for collecting and assessing clinical information for COVID patients, and we've been able to share what we've learned with the civilian community," she said.

She explained how the MHS Transformation is based on a congressional mandate to make changes in the military health structure, most notably to consolidate all DOD military medical treatment facilities (MTFs) under the DHA. And MHS GENESIS, as the sole EHR across DOD, is part of the transformation.

With MHS GENESIS, Adirim said, "we're going to see a lot of improvements in our ability to standardize care, to facilitate care, implement best practices, provide our clinicians with support in their decision making, etc."

However, "while the COVID pandemic has really stressed the MHS, it has provided opportunities and opened some doors with our EHR," she said. "Like everybody else, we had to singularly focus on COVID, so early in the pandemic we paused a number of these actions to complete the transition, but this winter we were able to resume," she said.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Adirim said she is confident DHA will achieve full implementation of MHS GENESIS across all MTFs by 2023.

"The DHA has already implemented all the policies and procedures that our hospitals and clinics need to follow," she said. "They've been able to standardize the patient experience, standardize care, and be able to achieve some efficiencies."

This is another area for collaboration with civilian partners, she added.

"We're hoping that when we're done with this, we'll be able to share some of those with our civilian-sector colleagues," Adirim said.

You also may be interested in...

MHS GENESIS Clipboard Eases Check-in, Increases Communication

Article
3/23/2023
MHS GENESIS Clipboard Eases Check-in, Increases Communication

As MHS GENESIS continues to deploy across the Military Health System, new capabilities are added to the electronic health record system to enhance the patient and provider experience. Patients can provide medical information or share issues they wish to discuss with their provider through the platform’s “clipboard” feature.

Recommended Content:

MHS GENESIS: The Electronic Health Record | MHS GENESIS Pre-Deployment Awareness | Information for Providers | MHS GENESIS

MHS Leaders Focus on Readiness, Collaboration to Advance Military Health Care

Article
3/15/2023
MHS Leaders Focus on Readiness, Collaboration to Advance Military Health Care

Medical professionals from across the Military Health System, the federal government, and international organizations met in National Harbor, Maryland, at the annual meeting of AMSUS, the Society of Federal Health Professionals, in February. At two plenary sessions, MHS senior leaders spoke about their joint vision for the future of military health.

Recommended Content:

About the MHS | Military Health System Transformation | Innovation at the Defense Health Agency

Federal EHR Patient Safety Outperforms Legacy, Per Industry Standards

Article
3/7/2023
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Anthony Iannicello, 8th Health Care Operations Squadron, pharmacy noncommissioned officer in charge, prepares to issue medication to a patient at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, on Oct. 13, 2022. (Credit: Senior Airman Shannon Braaten 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs)

The single, common federal electronic health record (EHR) continues to enhance user outcomes and patient safety with results from industry-standard testing showing improvement over legacy systems for clinical decision support tools related to medication safety.

Recommended Content:

Information for Providers | MHS GENESIS: The Electronic Health Record | Patient Safety | MHS GENESIS

MHS GENESIS Video Connect Enhances Patient Support

Article Around MHS
1/9/2023
Cheryl Hansen, a health educator at Naval Hospital Bremerton, at computer

In a region where travel is defined by navigating the geographically complicated waters of Puget Sound, the time and space from provider to patient can be daunting. Now, see what's happening at Naval Hospital Bremerton to bridge that distance and enhance beneficiary support.

Recommended Content:

MHS GENESIS: The Electronic Health Record | MHS Video Connect | MHS GENESIS

USAMRIID Focuses on Genome Sequencing to Detect Variants

Article
1/5/2023
Military medical personnel in laboratory

A connected family of laboratories across the MHS allows a more rapid response to the outbreak.

Recommended Content:

Research & Innovation | Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Coronavirus

Whole Genome Sequencing at Tripler Army Medical Center

Article
12/29/2022
Dr. Keith Fong reviews data with other lab technicians

The third installment in a 6-part series highlighting the efforts of the Military Health System laboratories and the technicians who worked to identify COVID-19 variants using special sequencing technology.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Research & Innovation | Coronavirus

Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Implements SARS-CoV-2 Genome Sequencing

Article
12/23/2022
Military medical personnel in laboratory

This is the second article in a 6-part series that highlights the work of technicians and scientists in Military Health System laboratories who worked to identify COVID-19 variants using special sequencing technology.

Recommended Content:

Global Health Engagement | Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Research & Innovation

Protect Yourself With Respiratory Illnesses on the Rise

Article Around MHS
12/19/2022
Military medical personnel administering vaccine

"Tis the season, and respiratory illnesses are on the rise. Learn critical health guidance about the viral triple threat of COVID-19, influenza, and the common cold, and the commonsense steps you can take to protect yourself and your family.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Children's Health | Medical and Dental Preventive Care Fitness | Immunization Tool Kit | Influenza, Northern Hemisphere | Immunization Healthcare Division

Military Labs Use Whole Genome Sequencing of COVID-19 Variants

Article
12/16/2022
Lab technician at work

The first in a 6-part series highlighting the work of technicians and scientists working in support of the MHS who identified COVID-19 variants using special sequencing technology.

Recommended Content:

Research & Innovation | Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Coronavirus

DOD Reduces Health Care Waste by Reusing Crutches

Article
12/15/2022
Military personnel using crutches

When military facilities faced a national shortage of an essential mobility aid, they launched a grassroots initiative that not only ensured patient care, but also created a new waste reduction model within the DHA.

Recommended Content:

Warrior Care | Coronavirus & the MHS Response

MHS Minute | Nov 2022

Video
12/12/2022
MHS Minute

The latest MHS Minute focuses on highlights from DHA Director Lt. Gen. Ronald J. Place’s final virtual town hall with the workforce, Nov. 16, 2022. The discussion included the agency’s biggest accomplishments over the past three years and the impact of COVID-19 on DHA’s reputation and approach to health care delivery.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus and the COVID-19 Vaccine | Coronavirus

Naval Medical Research Center Joint Study with Mount Sinai Uncovers Differences in COVID-19 Immune Response between the Sexes

Article Around MHS
12/5/2022
Amanda Cherry, research assistant, performing diagnostic testing at NMRC

A collaborative study between researchers at Naval Medical Research Center and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Princeton University has highlighted immune response differences in the coronavirus infection responses between male and female patients.

Recommended Content:

Medical Research and Development | Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Coronavirus

Operating at Speed of Relevance, Key to Great Outcomes, DHA’s Maturation

Article
11/21/2022
Photo of U.S. Army Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Ronald Place, Christianne Witten, and DHA Senior Enlisted Leader Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Gragg

DHA’s reputation built on speed of relevance in COVID pandemic, which helped it mature as an operational combat support agency.

Recommended Content:

MHS GENESIS: The Electronic Health Record | Ready Reliable Care

Medical Center of Excellence Publishes Its Medical Company Doctrine Publication

Article Around MHS
11/20/2022
Infographic for Army Techniques Publication 4-02.6

As the U.S. Army’s culture shifts from counterinsurgency or limited contingency operations to large-scale combat operations, medical forces must optimize Army Health System support for maximum effectiveness.

Recommended Content:

Readiness Capabilities

MHS GENESIS Reaches Significant Operational Milestone

Article
10/27/2022
A man holds an MHS GENESIS sign.

MHS GENESIS reaches more and more military beneficiaries.

Recommended Content:

MHS GENESIS: The Electronic Health Record | MHS GENESIS
<< < 1 2 3 4 5  ... > >> 
Showing results 1 - 15 Page 1 of 46
Refine your search
Last Updated: January 17, 2023
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery