Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Place addresses the Navy corpsmen assigned to the Adult Medical Care Clinic, a Naval Twentynine Palms Hospital healthcare clinic that treats the Marines and sailors aboard the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, the largest U.S. Marine Corps training base in the world, encompassing 1,100 square miles in the Mojave Desert in Southern California (Photo by: Dave Marks, Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms).

Place addressed the rise in telehealth encounters as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. "For behavioral health, we have years of experience. We know what parts work well and what parts represent challenges. With that experience, we did very well during the pandemic," Place said. "But before I can sign off on virtual health in other areas, we have to figure out if face-to-face care versus a virtual environment offers the same or better outcome. We have to figure out what we're measuring and how to measure it before I can give it the thumbs up."

Place doesn't think the COVID-19 vaccine will become mandatory while it is still classified as an emergency-use authorization with the FDA. "I know of at least one manufacturer that has already made an application for full-licensure," he said. "If full license is granted, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it becomes just like the other vaccines that are fully licensed that we get as service members. So that's the future."

After a long day that started on one of the Combat Center's training ranges and ended at the naval hospital's Adult Medical Care Clinic (serving the active-duty population), the DHA Director was enthusiastic about his visit.

"After experiencing the interactions with the Marines when we were out in the urban training center and the sailors working inside this facility, it's very clear to us that this is a close-knit community that cares about how they support each other, how they can help each other, and how ultimately they can achieve complete success in every part of the organization," he said.

"Hats off to every single leader here, from the commanding general, to the squad leaders – every leader in this organization makes this culture happen. We were thrilled to be invited here and glad we could spend the day with the team."