During a series of orientation visits in September, Capt. Joshua A. Miller, commanding officer, U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Yokosuka (USNMRTC Yokosuka), and director, U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka (USNH Yokosuka), met with leaders from Japanese medical facilities that support the U.S. Navy community in the Kanto region.
The visits provided Miller an opportunity to discuss the capabilities and services available through the region’s host-nation health care network. They also highlighted the role these relationships play in providing coordinated care for service members, families, civilian employees and other eligible beneficiaries.
Miller met with representatives from Yokosuka General Medical Center and Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital; Shonan Kamakura General Hospital; Yokohama City University Medical Center; Yokohama City University Hospital; Tower Clinic; NTT Medical Center Tokyo; and Kanagawa Children’s Medical Center.
“These visits helped me better understand the health care network that supports our community,” Miller said. “Our host-nation partners provide important capabilities and expertise. Maintaining strong communication with them helps us coordinate care for our patients and support readiness across the region.”
“U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka is structured to meet the routine and readiness-related health care needs of our beneficiary population,” Miller said. “Service members are subject to medical screening and readiness requirements, and the specialty care needs of our community differ from those of a large civilian tertiary care hospital. Rather than duplicate every specialty locally, we maintain a capable military treatment facility and rely on trusted host-nation partners for certain specialty services. This approach allows us to focus our resources on readiness and primary care while ensuring our beneficiaries can access the additional care they need.”
During fiscal year 2026, beneficiaries made 3,280 visits to host-nation medical partners for specialty care, diagnostic services and other medical needs.
NTT Medical Center Tokyo accounted for 22% of those visits. Yokosuka General Medical Center and Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital together accounted for 15%, followed by Shonan Kamakura General Hospital at 13% and Tower Clinic at 12%. Yokohama University Medical Center and Yokohama City University Hospital, as well as Kanagawa Children’s Medical Center, each accounted for 1% of visits.
Other host-nation medical partners accounted for the remaining 36% of visits. Those partners included Shinai Clinic, which supports gastrointestinal referrals, and Kanagawa Dental University Hospital.
“The numbers show how much our beneficiaries rely on this network,” said Cmdr. Brian Taylor of the Directorate for Healthcare Business, USNH Yokosuka. “These partnerships give our patients access to needed services across the region. Responsible use of referred care helps us remain a reliable partner to the institutions that provide that support.”
USNH Yokosuka encourages beneficiaries referred to host-nation medical facilities to make every effort to attend their scheduled appointments. Japanese hospitals and clinics set aside appointment time and clinical resources for the U.S. Navy community while continuing to serve their local patient populations. Patients who cannot attend an appointment should provide timely notice through the appropriate referral or host-nation liaison process.
“Our host-nation partners make time in their schedules to care for our patients,” said Ms. Eriko Tosa, Host Nation Liaison/Fellowship Program Coordinator, USNMRTC Yokosuka. “When patients keep their appointments, or let us know promptly when they cannot, it helps us protect those relationships and preserve access to care for the entire community.”
Beneficiaries who need assistance with an upcoming host-nation appointment or have concerns about referred care may contact the USNH Yokosuka Referral Office front desk at DSN 243-2750, from off base at 046-816-2750, or internationally at +81-46-816-2750. Front desk staff can direct callers to their referral manager or coordinator. Patients are also strongly encouraged to notify their referral manager by email as early as possible when they need to cancel or reschedule an appointment.
USNMRTC Yokosuka supports the readiness of U.S. forces and provides health care to eligible beneficiaries throughout the region. Its relationships with host-nation medical facilities remain an important part of the health care network supporting the U.S. Navy community in Japan.