File:Defense Health Program (SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 2017) (IA 22655C5HSSACD23Mar17DefenseHealthProgramFinal).pdf

STATEMENT OF VICE ADMIRAL C. FORREST FAISON III, MC, USN
SURGEON GENERAL OF THE NAVY BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEFENSE OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

In 2016, the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) issued A Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority which clearly articulates several key strategic imperatives and initiatives for the Navy. His message is clear: We must understand the character of the changing security environment and be ready to rapidly respond. Navy Medicine understands this mandate as we are the ready medical force that supports both the Navy and Marine Corps in all warfare domains.

In alignment with the CNO and the Commandant of the Marine Corps, I issued my Commander’s Guidance which focuses on the need to recognize that, in these transformational times, providing the best readiness, operational support, and health to the force protecting our interests around the world, requires unmatched commitment by all in Navy Medicine. I also reiterated our important guiding principles: honor the trust to provide the best care possible to those who defend our freedom; honor the uniform we wear; and, honor the privilege of leadership. Our strategic priorities include:


Readiness: We save lives wherever our forces operate – at and from the sea.
Health: We will provide the best care our nation can offer to Sailors, Marines and their families to keep them healthy, ready and on the job.
Partnerships: We will expand and strengthen our partnerships to maximize readiness and health.

These goals are directly relevant to the men and women of Navy Medicine. We never waiver from our core readiness responsibilities: ensuring the medical capabilities of our operational units and platforms are ready and the readiness, training, clinical experience, and preparation of the medical force supporting them is unmatched. Our Navy and Marine Corps is more highly trained, specialized, and deployed than ever before. Every Sailor and Marine is critical to the mission. We protect, maintain and restore the health of our service members and, in doing so, we treat them and their families as “family” by integrating health care in their lives through enhanced access and convenience. We are working hard to ensure that our Sailors and Marines have the health care support when and where they need it (and want it), making them partners in health and improving readiness. Navy Medicine is also stronger as a result of our partnerships and collaborations. We will continue to leverage these opportunities with the other Services, Defense Health Agency (DHA), interagency partners, academia and industry to fulfill our responsibilities and advance common interests.

I recognize that sustained and measurable progress on these goals requires the contributions from the entire Navy Medicine team. I am encouraged as to how strongly these priorities are resonating throughout our commands and we will continue to build on the progress we have made. We will, however, be challenged as our operational tempo remains high, the health care landscape continues to evolve, and our beneficiary population demographics and expectations change. These are significant considerations that will continue to influence our planning as we move forward.

Navy Medicine is grateful for your efforts in supporting our resource requirements. Inherent in our business practices is sound fiscal stewardship of the resources provided to us. The FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) directs many significant changes to the Military Health System (MHS), including the administration of our military treatment facilities (MTFs). I want to assure you that we are working closely with the DHA, the Joint Staff, the Army and Air Force to develop implementation plans to realize the very real benefits intended. These provide a great opportunity to us, but given our high operational tempo and the transformational impact on the Services and Combatant Commands, it is important that we proceed to affect these reforms with the requisite due diligence, rigorous analyses and careful planning. This is necessary to meet congressional intent while continuing to support a highly deployed expeditionary force with global commitments in a rapidly evolving and challenging world.