DHA Assistant Director for Health Care Administration Visits Defense Health Network Pacific Rim Headquarters

Story by Regena Kowitz

Defense Health Agency

SAN DIEGO – Rear Adm. Matthew Case, assistant director (acting) for Health Care Administration, Defense Health Agency (DHA), visited the joint headquarters of Defense Health Network Pacific Rim (DHN-PR) and Naval Medical Forces Pacific (NMFP) in San Diego to meet with Rear Adm. Guido Valdes, who leads both organizations.

As assistant director for Health Care Administration, Case leads DHA’s efforts in managing healthcare delivery across all Department of Defense military treatment facilities (MTF) while supporting the medical readiness of both the armed forces and the medical force. His directorate plays a crucial role in implementing policies and procedures that affect healthcare delivery and administration throughout the Military Health System.

The leadership meeting, which included deputy commanders and chiefs of staff from both the Network and Region, highlighted the successful growth and integration of DHN-PR since its transition from the former market structure last October. The Network has experienced significant expansion under Valdes’ leadership, growing from an initial staff of 4 personnel to a current strength of 29.

“Our staffing growth reflects the Network’s maturation, and being single service Navy has helped us achieve strong integration between DHA and Navy Medicine operations,” said Valdes, referring to the Network’s MTFs having active duty staff composed primarily of Navy personnel.

A key focus of the discussions centered on fiscal management and the careful stewardship of Defense Health Program and Operations and Maintenance funding streams. “The Network’s strategic growth gives us the opportunity to build robust partnerships across the Pacific Rim while maintaining strong fiscal oversight,” said DHN-PR Chief of Staff John Goodrich. “The visit also highlighted our enhanced communication channels with Defense Health Headquarters, which are crucial as we continue to expand our mission capabilities.”

Case also briefly introduced a new DHA initiative focused on staff well-being and encouraged the team to use it as an opportunity to engage staff throughout the Network’s MTFs.

The visit underscored DHA’s commitment to supporting its Networks as they continue to evolve and adapt to meet the healthcare needs of service members, their families, and all other beneficiaries throughout the Pacific Rim region.

Defense Health Network Pacific Rim (DHN-PR) is one of the Defense Health Agency’s nine networks of hospitals and clinics that deliver high-quality health care to the more than 362,000 TRICARE-eligible beneficiaries we are privileged to serve. The DHN-PR headquarters is located in San Diego, supporting military treatment facilities along the U.S. West Coast and overseas in Guam and Japan.