Skip main navigation

Military Health System

Clear Your Cache

Health.mil has undergone a recent update. For the best user experience we recommend clearing your browser cache.

Defense Health Agency Continues Transformation with Colorado Market

Image of Military personnel unveiling flags. Army. Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Ronald J. Place, director of the Defense Health Agency, left, unfurls the Defense Health Agency flag alongside Army Col. Kevin R. Bass, Evans Army Community Hospital commander and Colorado Market director, right, as he unveils the new Colorado Market flag during the market establishment ceremony June 22, 2021, at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jeffrey Vicars, 21st Medical Group, left and Army Command Sgt. Maj. Mitchell Bethke, Medical Department Activity-Fort Carson, right, assist in unveiling the flags. (Photo by Jeanine Mezei)

On June 22, the Defense Health Agency established a new direct reporting market centered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, bringing 15 medical facilities under DHA administration.

The Colorado Military Health System consists of four military medical treatment facilities (MTFs), and 11 other medical clinics supporting Fort Carson, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Peterson Air Force Base, Schriever Space Force Base and Buckley Space Force Base. The market serves a population of about 216,000 eligible Military Health System beneficiaries and treats about 3,400 patients on an average day.

The director of the DHA, U.S. Army Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Ronald Place, and the new Colorado market director, Army Col. Kevin Bass, hosted a ceremony at Peterson ushering in the new market.

Place commended MTF leaders for the progress they made leading up to market establishment.

"You're entrusted with supporting diverse elements of our national defense team - the cadets and faculty of the Air Force Academy, a major infantry division of the United States Army, United States NORTHCOM and the United States SPACECOM, two of only 11 unified combatant commands, the headquarters for United States Space Force and the joint team that supports the NORAD. "That's really impressive," Place said. "The work done by medical leaders to get to this point is equally impressive."

Place reminded those is attendance that the market will not only serve service members and their families in the Colorado Springs area, but will serve military, dependents and retirees throughout an area stretching from Wyoming to New Mexico.

Military personnel posing for a picture
The Colorado Market establishment ceremony at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, on June 22, 2021, included a cake cutting with Air Force Col. Patrick Pohle, 21st Medical Group commander, left, Army Col. Kevin R. Bass, Evans Army Community Hospital commander and Colorado Market director, Army. Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Ronald J. Place, director of the Defense Health Agency, Air Force Col. Christopher Grussendorf, 10th Medical Group commander, and Air Force Col. Shannon Phares, 460th Medical Group. (photo by Airman Aaron Edwards).

Place said the integration of services in a combined effort was key to getting the Colorado Military Health System off the ground.

"We're at this ceremony today because Army and Air Force Leadership, along with their staffs, were committed to this shared mission," said Place.

Bass, Evans Army Community Hospital commander and now the Colorado Military Health System director, echoed Place.

"The military treatment facilities that make up this market have a long history of working together to ensure the delivery of safe and quality health care to over 216,000 beneficiaries throughout Southern Colorado," said Bass. "As an integrated health care system, we will optimize access to care for our beneficiaries and maintain a ready medical force."

Establishing markets allows military medical treatment facilities within these markets to improve coordination with each other. They work with local, federal, state and civilian health entities to improve patient services. The Colorado Military Health System will operate as a system - sharing patients, staff, and budgets - to improve readiness and the delivery and coordination of health services, regardless of whether the facilities are Army or Air Force.

The Colorado Military Health System follows the establishment of five previous markets. With the addition of Colorado, current DHA markets are:

  • Central North Carolina
  • Coastal Mississippi
  • Colorado
  • Jacksonville
  • National Capital Region
  • Tidewater

The complete transition of MTFs to the DHA includes 19 direct reporting markets, 17 small markets and many stand-alone MTFs across the country that will report to a Small Market and Stand Alone MTF Organization, and two overseas Defense Health Agency Regions.

You also may be interested in...

Article
Jul 15, 2024

Naval Health Clinic Lemoore Leads the Way to Improved Audit Compliance Across the Naval Air Station Lemoore Flightline with Defense Travel System Training

From left to right. Tamra Christian, Navy DTS, Jaclyn Yeiser, NHCL deputy comptroller and Randy Butler, Navy DTS.

Naval Health Clinic Lemoore coordinated a comprehensive week-long training of the Defense Travel System from June 10-14, 2024. The clinic’s internal fiscal team shared resources with tenant commands across the Naval Air Station Lemoore flightline to help with program compliance and accounting requirements.

Article
Jul 15, 2024

U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa Coordinated with Sister Services to Move Life-Saving Equipment Across Air, Land and Sea in Support of Emergency Services in Okinawa, Japan

Inside the hull of the Guam

The Military Health System has undergone a significant transition that has aligned all the medical assets from the different services under the Defense Health Agency's guidance. One of the best benefits is the ability for service members to receive care seamlessly at any military medical treatment facility run by the Navy, Air Force, or Army.

Article
Jun 25, 2024

Tennessee Valley Health System, Fort Campbell Dental Ribbon Cutting Celebrates New VA Dental Clinic

Military Personnel at Taylor VA Dental Clinic ribbon cutting ceremony

The Taylor VA Dental Clinic on Fort Campbell officially opened on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. The new clinic provides increased access to care for thousands of Veterans in Clarksville and surrounding areas. It's the latest partnership between the VA, TVHS, the Blanchfield Army Community Hospital Heath System, and U.S. Army Dental Health Activity – Fort ...

Skip subpage navigation
Refine your search
Last Updated: March 06, 2025
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery