Keesler Medical Center hosts DoD medical leadership

Air Force Lt. Gen. Mark Ediger, Air Force Surgeon General, right, discusses the 81st Dental Squadron clinic renovations with Thomas McCaffery, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, and Navy Vice Adm. Raquel Bono, Defense Health Agency director, at the Keesler Medical Center during a site visit at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, April 27, 2018. The purpose of the visit was to get oriented with base operations and the Keesler Medical Center. The visit also included an office call with 2nd AF leadership and tours of the Clinical Research Lab and Radiology Oncology. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kemberly Groue)

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. — A Defense Department medical leadership contingent conducted an 81st Medical Group site visit April 27 as the first part of Keesler Medical Center’s transition to the Defense Health Agency.

Thomas McCaffery, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Navy Vice Adm. Raquel Bono, Defense Health Agency director, and Lt. Gen. Mark Ediger, Air Force Surgeon General, visited the KMC because it was selected to be one of the first hospitals to transition to DHA.

“We are a joint, integrated combat support agency enabling the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps medical services to provide a medically-ready force,” said Bono.

Greg Street, Intuitive Surgical instructor, left, briefs Navy Vice Adm. Raquel Bono, Defense Health Agency director, on the capabilities of robotics surgery at the Clinical Research Lab during a site visit at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, April 27, 2018. The purpose of the visit was to get oriented with base operations and the Keesler Medical Center. The visit also included an office call with 2nd Air Force leadership and tours of Radiology Oncology and the newly renovated 81st Dental Squadron clinic. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kemberly Groue)

The site visit included a tour of the 81st MDG’s facilities along with a town hall meeting where MDG personnel asked questions regarding manpower, training and patient care.

“Moving from a federated system of multiple health systems to one where you have an integrated system under one agency will make [medical services] more effective and efficient,” said McCaffrey.

With this transition, the medical services provided to patients will not be negatively affected, said Air Force Col. Jeannine Ryder, 81st MDG commander.

While KMC is among the first to transition, all military hospitals in the United States and across all military services will eventually transition to administration and management by DHA.

“The objective for this change is to take out redundancy within the three services when providing medical care,” said Ryder. “There will be efficiencies and best practices implemented to ensure that we provide the right care at the right time in a safe manner. As well as providing outstanding medical care in-garrison, our medics are ready for full spectrum operations, whether at home or in the deployed location.”

The transition is scheduled to happen in October and members from DHA will continue to visit Keesler to aid in this transition.

Disclaimer: Re-published content may have been edited for length and clarity. Read original post.