IDA - Health Watch 2 5 7 9

Adirim is the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness for all Department of Defense (DoD) health and force health protection policies, programs, and activities. [...] What do you think are the enduring lessons learned from the response to date? What have been the most significant management challenges? I left the DoD in February of 2020, right before the pandemic really started in the United States, and returned in January of 2021. [...] Has the pandemic challenged the assumptions of previous reform efforts (e.g., reductions to the medical force, downsizing of select MTFs, consolidation of MTF management under DHA)? I think the pandemic has forced a relook of how we are reshaping the health system particularly with respect to how much we rely on the civilian health sector and what the MTFs should look like in the future. [...] I think we need to not just complete the transfer of MTFs to DHA, but to ensure the success of the Defense Health Agency to administer and manage MTFs so that they continue to advance the delivery of high-quality care for all beneficiaries. [...] I think the program addressed its issues early and developed a standardized methodology for implementation that accounts for all the complexity—like managing all the devices that connect or interface with the EHR, getting the MTFs on the [Medical Community of Interest] early, doing the training in advance, and having super users who can pay it forward.