Skip main navigation

Military Health System

Clear Your Browser Cache

This website has recently undergone changes. Users finding unexpected concerns may care to clear their browser's cache to ensure a seamless experience.

Innovation at the Defense Health Agency

DHA is improving health care delivery to our service members and their families through innovation. We're identifying transformative technologies to apply to our entire health care enterprise.

Through our focus on technology, patient-centered care, mental health, collaboration, and military readiness, DHA ensures Military Health System beneficiaries are receiving the best possible care.

Looking to partner with us? Have ideas on how to collaborate with us?

Email Us
Evolution of Health Care wave graphic

Technology and Digital Health

We're making strides leveraging advances in technology and digital health solutions. These strides improve access to care, streamlines processes, and enhances patient outcomes. How are we doing this? We're taking full advantage of new developments in telemedicine, mobile health apps, and remote monitoring.

Patient-centered Care

We're committed to improving patient-centered care. How are we doing this? We're involving patients and their families in the decision-making process, providing education and resources so patients are empowered to take command of their own health. We're tailoring the care we deliver to meet their needs. Our mission is to make extraordinary experiences ordinary and exceptional outcomes routine.

Mental Health Care

We're actively addressing the mental health needs of our service members and their families. How are we doing this? We're looking for innovative ways to improve mental health care services and resources, while working to reduce the stigma around mental health.

Collaboration and Partnerships

We're aiming to enable a culture of innovation focused on delivering improved health care to our MHS beneficiaries. How are we doing this? We're fostering partnerships with industry, academia, the non-profit sector, and collaborating with other government agencies.

Military Readiness

We support military readiness by delivering great health care to our beneficiaries at our military hospitals and clinics. How are we doing this? By developing new approaches to health care delivery we're supporting the unique needs of our service members and their families.


The Evolution of Health Care

“Our vision of the future is one where [we] are liberated by technology rather than burdened by it…We are going to meet the patients where they are. Anytime. Anywhere. Always.” – U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland, DHA Director.

Watch Lt. Gen. Crosland's presentation from the 2023 AMSUS annual meeting on DVIDS.

 

Wave 0 - Legacy Health System

 

Wave 1 - Digitize

 

Wave 2 - Digitalization

 

Wave 3 - Converged Ecosystems

You also may be interested in...

Article Around MHS
Sep 15, 2023

Health Affairs Secretary Visits San Diego Facilities Discusses Importance of Readiness Quality Health Care

SAN DIEGO (Sept. 14, 2023) Dr. Lester Martinez-Lopez, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, is briefed on Naval Medical Center San Diego's (NMCSD) Bioskills and Simulation Training Center's (BSTC) capabilities by Capt. Cory Gaconnet, BSTC department head. The BSTC offers medical students, nurses, interns, residents and hospital clinical staff the opportunity to train in a virtual patient care environment using simulated patients and sophisticated technology. The center contains overhead cameras that tape the medical team's actions, so leaders can provide feedback after the simulated training. The BSTC plays a key role in maintaining patient safety and ensuring the operational readiness of all hospital staff. The mission of NMCSD is to prepare service members to deploy in support of operational forces, deliver high quality health care services and shape the future of military medicine through education, training and research. NMCSD employs more than 6,000 active-duty military personnel, civilians and contractors in southern California to provide patients with world-class care anytime, anywhere.  (Photo: Marcelo Calero)

The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Dr. Lester Martinez-Lopez, visited the Defense Health Agency’s San Diego Market from Sept. 13-14, touring research and medical facilities and meeting with staff to discuss the unique challenges facing Southern California’s medical treatment facilities.

Article Around MHS
Aug 28, 2023

Army Reserve-led Mountain Medic Soars to New Heights

U.S. Army Reserve critical care flight paramedics from 5-159th General Support Aviation Battalion, 244th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, Army Reserve Aviation Command, guide U.S, Air Force Reserve medical personnel from the 302nd Airlift Wing in offloading a casualty from a HH-60 MEDEVAC Black Hawk during exercise Mountain Medic at Fort Carson, Colorado, on Aug. 14, 2023. Mountain Medic is an Army Reserve-led joint, multi-component, multi-domain aeromedical evacuation exercise geared at improving and reenforcing medical evacuation operations in a simulated large-scale combat operations environment. (U.S. Army Reserve Photo by Master Sgt. Joy Dulen)

The third iteration of the fast-paced joint operation known as Mountain Medic 2023 was conducted in August 2023. Against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, the exercise aimed at improving and reinforcing medical evacuation operations and skill sets while pushing its medics, pilots, and aircrews nonstop in austere environments set for large-scale ...

Article Around MHS
Aug 23, 2023

MHSRS 2023 Kicks Off with Powerful Message: Medical Readiness for the Future Fight

Team members from the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command's Medical Material Development Activity - Broad Spectrum Snakebite Antidote (BSSA) program, receive the Military Health System Research Symposium 2023 Outstanding Research Accomplishment award in team/program management in Kissimmee, Florida on August 14, 2023.  (Photo: Danae Johnson)

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Lester Martinez-López kicked off the 2023 Military Health System Research Symposium with a keynote speech on the morning of August 14, delivering powerful words to the more than 4,000 people attending the event. Weaving his heartfelt sentiments into an overall call for action, Martinez put the ...

Article Around MHS
Aug 17, 2023

Naval Medical Research & Development Researchers Participate in Undersea Operational Research Panel at MHSRS

Panel presenters for the Undersea Operational Research panel at the 2023 Military Health System Research Symposium

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Medical researchers from the Naval Medical Research & Development (NMR&D) enterprise specializing in undersea health met for a panel during the 2023 Military Health System Research Symposium (MHRSR) on Aug.15.

Article Around MHS
Aug 10, 2023

U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity Logisticians, Reserve Soldiers, Army Logistics Support Capstone Hospital Conversion Effort in Northern California’s High Desert

U.S. Army Reserve soldiers from across the 807th Medical Command inventory newly fielded medical equipment inside a storage warehouse at Sierra Army Depot, California, on July 19, 2023. Members of the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity, U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency, and soldiers with the 807th MCDS began an inventory of medical supplies this week as part of a capstone field hospital conversion mission for eight Army Reserve medical commands belonging to the 801st Combat Support Hospital. (Photo: T. T. Parish/U.S. Army)

The U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity, partnering with the Army Reserve’s 807th Medical Command, reached a milestone in its yearslong efforts to support U.S. Army Reserve medical commands last week, starting the final hospital conversion at the Sierra Army Depot in California.

Article Around MHS
Aug 7, 2023

Naval Medical Center San Diego Uses Robotics System for Total Knee Arthroplasty

Sailors attached to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command in San Diego use the 3D model from the Stryker Mako system while conducting a total knee arthroplasty in the main operating room. NMRTC‘s mission is to prepare service members to deploy in support of operational forces, deliver high-quality health care services and shape the future of military medicine through education, training, and research. (Photo by U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Raphael McCorey)

Naval Medical Center San Diego continues to lead in medical technology being the first Navy Medical Treatment Facility military hospital to conduct a total knee arthroplasty utilizing the Mako Robotics system. The Stryker Mako system is a state-of-the-art robotic arm that uses haptic technology, or commonly referred to as 3D touch, to achieve high ...

Article Around MHS
Jul 24, 2023

Expeditionary Medical Facility Kilo Completes Readiness Exercise, Earns Deployment-Ready Status

Expeditionary Medical Facility Kilo successfully completed its Operational Readiness Evaluation in Camp Pendleton, California, June 14-21. Approximately 134 EMF Kilo personnel trained in setting up and operating a 50-bed, medical treatment facility. (Photo: U.S. Navy HM2 James Comick, Naval Expeditionary Medical Training Institute)

Expeditionary Medical Facility Kilo successfully completed its Operational Readiness Evaluation. The focus of the ORE held in Camp Pendleton, California was testing the command’s ability to stand up a fully functional field hospital, capable of operating when deployed at any location around the world.

Skip subpage navigation
Last Updated: July 11, 2023
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery