Dr. Jonathan Woodson is leaving his post as the head of the Military Health System, saying he has great pride in the tremendous work and achievements of those who served in military health during his tenure.
"This has been a job of a lifetime -- it's been a job of a lifetime because of the men and women of the Military Health System," he said in an April 27 interview with DoD News.
Woodson, who was confirmed in December 2010 as assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, leaves the post April 30. He led the Military Health System through a number of reforms that modernized the $50 billion-per-year enterprise.
The surgeon said he is returning to Boston University School of Medicine and will help in the establishment of an institute for health systems innovation and policy. Woodson, who holds the rank of brigadier general in the Army Reserve, said he looks forward to resuming his military service.
Unique Mission, Saving Lives on the Battlefield
The mission of military health is unique, he pointed out. The men and women protect, defend and support the fighting troops and make sure that every life that can be saved is saved, he said.
"When someone falls on the battlefield, they will put their own selves in harm's way to save that individual's life," he said. "I have tremendous respect, every time I go out to the field [and] the hospitals, it shows up in all the men and women we have in the ranks of the Military Health System."
He added that military health has made significant advances over the last several years in restoring a person to the fullest capability possible after an injury. Military health, he said, is changing the concept of disability into ability.
Important advances have been made in battlefield trauma care and evacuations, saving lives of men and women who serve in harm's way, Woodson pointed out.
Important Mission
The Military Health System, with its nearly 150,000 uniformed and civilian personnel, serves 9.4 million beneficiaries worldwide.
Woodson highlighted his six focal points during his tenure.
He sought to modernize the Military Health System; define and deliver the medical capabilities and manpower needed in the 21st century; balance the force structure; invest in and expand strategic partnerships; transform TRICARE; and expand the global health engagement strategy.
Being fiscally responsible, while remaining on the cutting edge of medicine and providing high-level medical care are duties the Military Health System takes pride in, Woodson said.
Advances, Challenges in Military Health
"There's a lot for the men and women of the military health system to be proud of," Woodson said, adding that while there were tremendous advances during his tenure, there were also challenges.
Woodson highlighted the creation of the Defense Health Agency, which occurred during a government shutdown. He points out that since its creation more than two years ago, it has saved taxpayers more than $700 million.
"As our costs rise, it competes with the ability of the rest of the organization to train, man, equip and modernize the force," he said. "So we needed to create a new, joint structure that allowed us to make enterprise decisions in an agile way to meet the needs in the future yet control costs and so the Defense Health Agency was born."
The Defense Health Agency is a joint, integrated combat support agency that enables the Army, Navy, and Air Force medical services to provide a medically ready force and ready medical force to combatant commands.
Woodson also pointed out achievements in creating a new electronic health record system, and the Healthy Base Initiative that promotes the health of service members, civilians and their families.
Strengthening National, Global Health and Security
Military health supports national and global health and security efforts through its response and innovations, Woodson said.
Just think about the Ebola crisis in West Africa, he said, explaining that without the swift response from the U.S. military, the deadly outbreak could have been far worse.
"This is enormously important," he said, explaining that an outbreak of an infectious disease could find its way to the United States in a matter of hours.
"The U.S. military, as part of the interagency environment, particularly the MHS, has a role to play in that part of the national security strategy," he said.
In addition, military advances in other areas, including with vaccines and in treatment for traumatic brain injury, amputations, and post-traumatic stress disorder are shared in the civilian world and benefit the larger community.
His parting message, he said, is that he wants the American people to know what a great system exists in military health.
"It's a valuable resource that needs to grow [and] evolve, but needs to be protected," he said, adding there will be challenges as the health care environment and military and national security strategies change.
"We want everybody to be as proud of the MHS, as I am," he said. "We always need to ensure that we can recruit and retain talented folks, and so we look forward to a very bright future for the Military Heath System."
(Follow Lisa Ferdinando on Twitter: @FerdinandoDoD)