NHCCC transitions under DHA
For patients at Naval Health Clinic (NHC) Corpus Christi, Oct. 1 looked just like any other day.
However, for the clinic’s staff, the day marked a major milestone in what has been a nearly yearlong transition process.
At the direction of Congress, under the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, the Departments of the Navy, Army and Air Force were required to transition administration and management of military medical treatment facilities to the Defense Health Agency (DHA) no later than Sept. 30, 2021.
The Navy began this change in October 2018, with Naval Hospital Jacksonville.
NHC Corpus Christi, along with its San Antonio Detachment and Branch Health Clinics in Kingsville and Fort Worth officially transitioned under the DHA, Oct. 1.
NHC Corpus Christi celebrated the official transition date during a short ceremony at the clinic Tuesday.
As Sailors and staff gathered in front of the clinic to observe morning colors, Capt. Eric Evans, NHC Corpus Christi commanding officer, spoke to the crew about the significance of the official transition to the DHA.
“What we’re doing today is celebrating this change,” Evans said. “Navy Medicine is changing, and Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi is going to change as well.”
Over time, these reforms will drive better integration and standardization of care across all military medical treatment facilities, which means patients’ should have a consistent, high-quality health care experience, no matter where they are.
To complement the transition to the DHA, Navy Medicine is establishing a co-located Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC).
NMRTC Corpus Christi is expected to be officially established in fiscal year 2020.
Navy Medicine, through the NMRTC, will retain command and control of the uniformed medical force, and maintains responsibility and authority for the operational readiness of Sailors and Marines as well as the clinical readiness of its medical force.
“We’re going to be focusing on readiness,” Evans said. “Readiness for our staff and readiness for active duty to deploy.”
The Corpus Christi NMRTC will improve the ability of NHC Corpus Christi to meet the needs of operational commanders.
Survivability of Navy and Marine Corps personnel in the future warfighting environment requires a medical force that is ready to immediately deploy and save lives.
Evans will serve as both the director of NHC Corpus Christi and commanding officer of NMRTC Corpus Christi.
This change in administration will be transparent to patients – service members, family members, and retirees - with little or no immediate effect on their experience of care. For patients, their facility, physicians, and coverage will all remain the same. They will continue to receive the same exceptional level of care and service.
“We will continue to provide great care for our beneficiaries,” Evans said. “That does not change, because providing beneficiary care is part of our readiness.”
NHC Corpus Christi and its Naval Branch Health Clinic Fort Worth and Naval Branch Health Clinic Kingsville provide ambulatory care services to over 13,000 enrolled beneficiaries comprised of military active duty, their family members, retirees and their family members in South Texas and Dallas/Fort Worth.
In addition, NHC Corpus Christi San Antonio Detachment provides primary care services to Navy students at the Medical Education & Training Campus at Fort Sam Houston, and case management services and medical board management to Navy and Marine Corps Wounded, Ill and Injured Warriors at San Antonio Military Medical Center.