Karen Guice Leads Discussion on Military Health System Essentials

Karen Guice, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, highlighted what she believes are essential components for building up the Military Health System in a panel discussion with other health professionals.

Guice, who also acts as the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, compared the MHS to a building with several parts and described how each room and floor contributes to the sustainment of the building, MHS said Friday.

She led the discussion with Defense Health Agency Director Navy Vice Adm. Raquel Bono, Army Lt. Gen. Nadja West, Navy Vice Adm. Forrest Faison, Air Force Lt. Gen. Mark Ediger and Army Maj. Gen. Joseph Caravalho during the Society of Federal Health Professionals 2016 meeting near Washington, D.C.

“We in the MHS have organizational silos, serving as our physical barriers to conversations, collaboration, cooperation and coordination,” said Guice.

“Commitment to performance goals and common purpose are more important to team success than team building,” she added.

Bono stressed on the need to meet the evolving demands of military members and medical providers through flexibility in a “multidomain, multifunctional conflict.”

West also called on providers to keep in mind their role to address the medical needs of military.