Defense Health Agency

Defense Health Agency
DHA Seal
Active	October 1, 2013
Part of	Military Health System (MHS)
Garrison/HQ	Falls Church, Virginia
Website	https://health.mil/About-MHS/OASDHA/Defense-Health-Agency
Commanders
Director	LTG Ronald J. Place
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia worn by they U.S. Army element
Shoulder sleeve insignia worn by U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force elements

The Defense Health Agency (DHA) is a joint, integrated combat support agency that enables the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Space Force medical services to provide a medically ready force and ready medical force to Combatant Commands in both peacetime and wartime. The DHA supports the delivery of integrated, affordable, and high quality health services to MHS beneficiaries and is responsible for driving greater integration of clinical and business processes across the MHS by:

• Implementing shared services with common measurement of outcomes;
• Enabling rapid adoption of proven practices, helping reduce unwanted variation, and improving the coordination of care across time and treatment venues;
• Exercising management responsibility for joint shared services and the TRICARE Health Plan; and
• Acting as the market manager for the National Capital Region (NCR) enhanced Multi-Service Market, which includes Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital (FBCH).

History[]

The United States Department of Defense established the DHA as part of a larger effort meant to reorganize its health care programs and services. The reorganization was based in part on the recommendations of a task force that issued a report on the management of U.S. military health care in 2011.^[1] Under the old system, many aspects of military health care were managed by the individual armed services (Army, Navy, and Air Force).^[2] DHA's mission is to "achieve greater integration of our direct and purchased health care delivery systems so that we accomplish the Department's Quadruple Aim: achieve medical readiness, improve the health of our people, enhance the experience of care, and lower our healthcare costs."^[3]

Structure[]

The organizational structure of the Defense Health Agency.

The DHA operates under the authority and oversight of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. Assistant Secretary Jonathan Woodson, M.D., established the DHA's organizational structure, including six directorates (see organization chart, right).^[3]

National Capital Region Medical Directorate[]

The National Capital Region Medical Directorate is a medical directorate within the DHA.^[1]

Education & Training Directorate[]

Medical Education and Training Campus

See: Medical Education and Training Campus § Academics

List of directors[]

No.	Director		Term
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Term length
1		Lieutenant General Douglas J. Robb[4]	October 1, 2013	October 2015	~2 years, 0 days
2		Vice Admiral Raquel C. Bono[5]	October 2015	~September 3, 2019	~3 years, 337 days
3		Lieutenant General Ronald J. Place[6]	~September 3, 2019	Incumbent	~2 years, 2 days

See also[]

• Military Health System
• Military medicine
• Surgeon General of the United States Army
• Surgeon General of the United States Navy
• Surgeon General of the United States Air Force
• TRICARE
• Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
• US Family Health Plan

References[]

External links[]

• https://health.mil/About-MHS/OASDHA/Defense-Health-Agency, the central portal for U.S. military health care services.