U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas Harrell, left, the new Defense Health Network Central director, San Antonio Market director, 59th Medical Wing commander, and Air Force Medical Agency Alpha lead, meets with members of the 59th MDW during commander immersions at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph in September. As network director, Harrell oversees the military’s largest medical network with 39 hospitals and clinics to include the military’s premier readiness, education, and training platforms. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kelsey Martinez
FALLS CHURCH, VA — In the first phase of a broader realignment, the Defense Health Agency has created nine Defense Health Networks (DHN) to take the place of what had been 20 direct-reporting medical markets, each a grouping of military hospitals and clinics with varying leadership rank structures.
As of last month, every military hospital and clinic reports to one of these networks, each led by a general or flag officer.
“The Military Health System is changing … changing how we organize to counter threats that surround us, how we deliver care on the battlefield or at home, and how we leverage the tools and technologies of this digital age to better service our patients,” explained DHA Director U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland in a recent message to agency employees.
The DHA said in a press release that this is the first step in “a deliberate organizational change to strengthen the management of health care delivery, combat support and support to the military health enterprise worldwide.”
DHA Deputy Director Michael Malanoski, MD, said, “Advancement will make our organization better. It will streamline how we work with the service medical departments, strengthen the connection between headquarters and our teammates across the organization, and improve our support request response times.”
“Moving to the network structure led by general officers, most of whom are dual hatted holding both DHA and military department medical command positions, standardizes leadership to improve health care delivery around the globe,” Malanoski added. “This simultaneously enhances the ability of both DHA and the military departments to meet the requirements of distinctly separate yet mutually reliant medical missions.”
When DHA was established on Oct. 1, 2013, by congressional requirements laid out in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), its initial headquarters structure was policy driven under the original TRICARE Management Activity. Over its 10-year history, however, DHA has changed significantly to meet its mission as a combat support agency to provide operational support to the military departments and combatant commands to enhance military medical-readiness, Probably the most momentous changes occurred on Oct. 1, 2019, when, following requirements set forth in the 2017 NDAA, military hospitals and clinics around the world transitioned from the three military services departments to DHA.
DHA launched the original market model to provide operational communication and coordination as medical facilities completed the transition. Now, based on lessons learned from the market model, DHA’s new advancement plan is designed to alleviate identified gaps, empower decision-making at echelon, align functions and streamline processes to improve the workplace and healthcare provision.
“The talent and expertise of our employees, from the headquarters to the hospitals and clinics, is exceptional; this a truly dedicated and professional workforce,” Crosland said. “Advancing the market model, empowering leaders at echelon, eliminating overlap, and strengthening processes frees our talented workforce to focus on what they do best – making extraordinary experiences normal and exceptional outcomes routine as we improve health and build readiness.”
Here are the new Defense Health Networks;
- Defense Health Network Atlantic
Director: Rear Adm. Matthew Case, U.S. Navy - Defense Health Network Centrall
Director: Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Harrell, U.S. Air Force - Defense Health Network Continental
Interim Director: Rear Adm. Tracy Farrill, Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service - Defense Health Network East
Director: Brig. Gen. Lance C. Raney, U.S. Army - Defense Health Network West
Director: Brig. Gen. E. Darrin Cox, U.S. Army - Defense Health Network National Capital Region
Director: Brig. Gen. Deydre Teyhen, U.S. Army - Defense Health Network Europe
Director: Brig. Gen. Clinton K. Murray, U.S. Army - Defense Health Network Indo-Pacific
Director: Col. Bill A. Soliz, U.S. Army - Defense Health Network Pacific Rim
Director: Rear Adm. Guido F. Valdes, U.S. Navy
In 2013, the DHS became establishing the multiservice market areas, which served as stepping stones to the DHA’s current healthcare market structure. Multiservice market areas, or MSMs, were geographic areas where at least two military medical hospitals or clinics from different military service branches—Army, Navy or Air Force—had overlapping service areas. At its peak, 15 MSMs existed around the world; 11 in the United States and four overseas.
Six of the markets were considered “enhanced” because of several factors, including overall size, medical mission and graduate medical education capacity.
The final market established on Oct. 25, 2022, the DHA Region Europe. At that point, the DHA market structure included 20 Direct Reporting Markets, 17 Small Markets and several stand-alone military hospitals and clinics, as well as two overseas regions—Indo-Pacific and Europe.
DHA is moving from 20 markets to nine Defense Health Networks supported by Defense Health Support Activities; no military hospitals or clinics will stand alone but will be part of a DHN. Full operational capacity under the changes advance plan is expected to be reached in April 2026.