Transition Timeline

On Oct. 1, 2018, all military hospitals and clinics began to follow DHA standardized policies, procedures, and clinical and business practices. The DHA officially assumed management and administration of a handful of military hospitals and clinics, in addition to their existing management of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital:

• 81st Medical Group (Keesler Air Force Base)
• 628th Medical Group (Joint Base Charleston)
• Naval Hospital Jacksonville
• 4th Medical Group (Seymour Johnson Air Force Base)
• Womack Army Medical Center (Ft. Bragg)
• 43rd Medical Group (Pope Field)

On Jan. 30, 2020, facilities in four regions within the United States became the first military medical markets aligned by geographic location. The markets include hospitals and clinics in the National Capital Region (Washington, D.C., southern Maryland, and northern Virginia), Jacksonville, Florida; the Mississippi coast (Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula); and Central North Carolina (Fayetteville).

On Sept. 1, 2020 the Defense Health Agency launched 74 new military hospital and clinic Air Force websites – an important milestone in the effort to modernize the web presence of all military hospitals and clinics. Each website transitioned to the TRICARE domain to provide a standardized patient experience across the Military Health System. 

On Dec. 20, 2020, the Defense Health Agency completed the migration of 140 military hospital and clinic websites to the TRICARE.mil domain, a key milestone in the transition of management and administration of the MTFs from the services to the DHA. The three-year project finalizes an effort to modernize the web presence of military hospitals and clinics worldwide and provide a standardized experience for patients throughout the Military Health System.

On April 19, 2021, the Tidewater Market became the fifth market to be established following a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tidewater Market serves 393,000 beneficiaries, and includes: Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, McDonald Army Health Center at Fort Eustis, and U.S. Air Force Hospital at Langley Air Force Base.

On June 22, 2021, the Colorado Market joined the Tidewater Market in being officially established by the Defense Health Agency.  Establishment of a second Wave 1 market is a significant milestone for the Military Health System Transformation and supports the Department of Defense’s National Defense Strategy in delivering a medically ready force and a ready medical force.

On July 16, 2021, the San Antonio Market was officially established by the DHA. The San Antonio Market is comprised of Brooke Army Medical Center, Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, 10 stand-alone military treatment facilities, and more than 100 specialty services – staffed by about 11,000 Army, Navy, Air Force, civilian and contract personnel. As the DOD’s only Level I Trauma Center, the market partners with the community’s trauma system to administer critical care to civilian emergency patients across 22 counties in Southwest Texas. Additionally, all military medical enlisted forces train at the Medical Education Training Campus on Fort Sam Houston.

On July 26, 2021, eight large single-service markets and two large multi-service markets were added to the ever-growing number of geographically-determined markets under the management of the DHA, bringing the total number of markets to 17.

The 10 newly established markets are:

• Puget Sound (multi-service)
• Hawaii (multi-service)
• Southwest Kentucky
• Southwest Georgia
• Central Texas
• Coastal North Carolina
• Low Country (Georgia)
• San Diego
• Augusta (Georgia)
• Sacramento

On Sept. 10, 2021, the El Paso and Florida Panhandle Markets were officially established by the DHA. The El Paso Market is a single service market comprised of William Beaumont Army Medical Center and its subordinate clinics at Fort Bliss, Texas.  Florida Panhandle Market is a multi-service market comprised of the 96th Medical Group at Eglin Air Force Base, 325th Medical Group at Tyndall Air Force Base, the 1st Special Operations Medical Group at Hurlburt Field, and Naval Hospital Pensacola and its subordinate clinics.

The Alaska Market is a multi-service market comprised of Army and Air Force medical facilities that was established on Sept. 30, 2021. DHA also established the Small Market and Stand-Alone Military Treatment Facility Organization (SSO) on this date. The SSO provides executive management and oversees clinical operations, business operations, analytics and strategy for 17 small markets and many stand-alone medical facilities.

On Feb. 24, 2022, a memorandum was signed that directs the continued implementation of the Military Health System organizational reform. The memo directs the Defense Health Agency to assume authority, control and direction of military hospitals and clinics and dental treatment facilities in overseas area.