Skip to main content

Military Health System

Test of Sitewide Banner

This is a test of the sitewide banner capability. In the case of an emergency, site visitors would be able to visit the news page for addition information.

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...

Antibiotic Allergy De-Labeling Improves Health Care and Saves Money

Article
5/25/2023
Antibiotic Allergy De-Labeling Improves Healthcare and Saves Money

Antibiotics are one of the most frequently prescribed medications in the world today. And among all antibiotics, penicillin and related beta-lactam antibiotics have proven to be the safest and most effective. Unfortunately, many U.S. patients are incorrectly labeled as having a penicillin allergy, which limits their access to essential medications and makes them vulnerable to complications associated with broad-spectrum antibiotic treatments.

Fort Belvoir Community Hospital Renamed to Honor Army Doctor

Article
5/19/2023
Fort Belvoir Community Hospital Renamed to Honor Army Doctor

Defense Health Agency renames Fort Belvoir Community Hospital to honor historic leader and highest-ranking black officer in the Union Army.

Crosland Discusses Dawn of Digital Health at HIMSS 2023

Article
4/28/2023
Crosland Discusses Dawn of Digital Health at HIMSS 2023

“My priorities as a combat support agency are about health of the force, and the redesign of our health care system is about health of our patient,” said U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Crosland. “And as an agency, it's about health of our people.”

Tidewater Market Saves by Integrating and Optimizing Pathology Services

Article
3/10/2023
Laboratory Technician Andrienne Collier works with wound cultures to isolate microorganisms while working at the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth laboratory. As part of the Defense Health Agency’s Tidewater Market, the NMCP laboratory provides a comprehensive range of anatomic pathology, blood bank, and clinical pathology services to eligible beneficiaries in the Tidewater region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Dylan M. Kinee/Released)

Efficiency, optimization, and standardizing processes and services is paramount for the success of setting up DHA market structures. That's why Tidewater Market Laboratory/Pathology Integration Working Group was created. Find out how they're collaborating to meet new goals.

New DHA Region to Support Health Care Across Three Combatant Commands

Article
10/26/2022
Two men unfold flags

The Defense Health Agency established the DHA Region Europe Oct. 25, 2022, welcoming hospitals and clinics in Europe and the Middle East to the new region.

Chief Medical Officer Earns Top Honor for Excellence in Health Care

Article
10/12/2022
Two men pose with an award

The San Antonio Market’s chief medical officer received a top honor from the American Academy of Family Physicians for his outstanding contributions as a physician leader.

DHA Turns 9: 'Now Fully Responsible for Health Care Delivery' in DOD

Article
10/6/2022
Four DHA personnel, including DHA Director Place, center, cut a birthday cake with a sword to celebrate DHA's ninth birthday. Oct. 1, 2022.

Defense Health Agency celebrates its 9th year; continues to grow military medical mission.

DHA Region Indo-Pacific Standardizes Medical Readiness and Health Care

Article
9/30/2022
A man speaks into a microphone on a podium

DHA establishes DHA Region Indo-Pacific on Sept. 27.

Technology and Medicine: The Digital Age of Health Care

Article
8/26/2022
Photo of an afternoon panel of four people

Technology is transforming health care and incorporating new elements for providers in their practices.

C-Suite's Culture of Care

Article
4/27/2022
U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Clinton Murray (right), Brooke Army Medical Center commanding general and an infectious disease physician, and Dr. Evan Renz, deputy to the commander for quality and safety and a general surgeon, stop to compare notes during Saturday morning rounds at BAMC on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Dec. 18, 2021. (Courtesy Photo)

It can be a balancing act, but senior leaders at Brooke Army Medical Center make it a priority to carve out time for clinical care.

MHS GENESIS: Commanders Say Electronic Health Records Foster Improved Care

Article
4/20/2022
An Army soldier and patient actor sports a mock impalement while providing simulated medical information to test out a new electronic medical record system designed to virtually document medical encounters in the field. The mock scenario was part of the U.S. Navy’s Rim of the Pacific exercise in 2018. (Photo: Ana Allen, U.S. Army)

MHS GENESIS improves health care for military beneficiaries across the enterprise.

MHS GENESIS Now Deployed at 66 of 138 Military Hospital and Clinic Commands

Article
4/8/2022
Air Force Col. Dolphis Hall, 4th Medical Group commander, left, and Chief Master Sgt. Kaleah Belin, 4th MDG senior enlisted leader, pose for a photo at the Thomas Koritz Medical Clinic at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, March 19, 2022. (Photo: Air Force Senior Airman Kimberly Barrera)

MHS GENESIS is now live at Waves Bragg and Wave Hood.

The New Public Health Director Talks about His Goals for Force Readiness

Article
4/5/2022
Rear Admiral Brandon Taylor of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps in dress whites at the 2019 National Independence Day Parade where he represented the U.S. Surgeon General as a presiding official with the other services. Taylor was named in February as the new director of the Defense Health Agency’s Public Health directorate. (Photo: Tanisha Blaise, Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division senior public relations and media specialist)

Rear Adm. Brandon Taylor was recently appointed to be the new director for the Defense Health Agency’s Public Health directorate. In an interview, he discussed how he is approaching his new role, his goals for Public Health within DHA, and the importance of Public Health to a medically ready force and a ready medical force.

BAMC Earns Re-Verification as Level I Trauma Center

Article
1/28/2022
Trauma personnel receive an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or ECMO patient into the Emergency Department at Brooke Army Medical Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Jan. 24, 2022. BAMC has been re-verified as a Level I Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons for its dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients.

Brooke Army Medical Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston in Texas has been re-verified as a Level I Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons.

How Standing Up Regional Markets is Improving Access to Health Care

Article
1/11/2022
Air Force Maj. Megan George, a registered nurse assigned to the 633d Medical Group based at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, retrieves medical supplies from a storeroom at Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis, Minnesota during COVID-19 response operations, Dec. 7. The DHA has seen early success in replacing deployed personnel in their assigned markets (Photo by Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael H. Lehman).

Modernizations set in motion in 2021 will optimize care and sharing of medical resources across services and the entire MHS, says U.S. Public Health Service Capt. Tracy Farrill.

Page 1 of 3 , showing items 1 - 15
First < 1 2 3 > Last 
Refine your search
Last Updated: January 24, 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