Defense Health Agency's Virtual Medical Operations Center Transforms Patient Care and Operational Medical Support

Strategic Insights -

Capt. Kathleen Cooperman, the new deputy director for Defense Health Network Pacific Rim, visited the Virtual Medical Operations Center at Naval Medical Center San Diego to learn about its role in transforming patient care and operational medical support. The Virtual Medical Operations Center provides real-time inpatient virtual care and tele-critical care support to military hospitals and clinics worldwide, extending critical care expertise to military treatment facilities and operational forces.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Virtual Medical Operations Center (VMOC) provides real-time inpatient virtual care and tele-critical care support to military hospitals and clinics worldwide, extending critical care expertise to military treatment facilities and operational forces.
  • The VMOC model allows intensivists and other specialists to provide real-time guidance from San Diego to teams on the ground, from walking providers in an ICU at an overseas hospital through a difficult case to advising corpsmen and medics in the field.
  • The VMOC has grown from an idea several years ago into a capability that today supports more than two dozen military treatment facilities (MTFs).
  • The VMOC is exploring opportunities to expand services such as EEG monitoring, ad-hoc dialysis, and advanced consultative support, while piloting new approaches to integrate digital health and readiness tools.
  • The VMOC is a key enabler of the Military Health System's (MHS) Ready Reliable Care framework, representing one way the MHS is leveraging technology and innovation to deliver on its mission of caring for the joint force and their families.
  • Capt. Kathleen Cooperman, the new deputy director for Defense Health Network Pacific Rim, visited the VMOC to learn about its role in supporting both military medical treatment facilities and operational missions.
  • The VMOC is a critical component of the Defense Health Agency's (DHA) strategy to modernize health care delivery and advance digital health transformation.
  • The VMOC is globally connected, providing real-time support to military hospitals and clinics in Guam and Japan, as well as those in the continental United States.

Statistics:

  • The VMOC supports more than two dozen military treatment facilities (MTFs) worldwide.
  • The VMOC extends critical care expertise to military treatment facilities and operational forces on a global scale.
  • The VMOC has a team of intensivists and other specialists who provide real-time guidance from San Diego to teams on the ground.
  • The VMOC is exploring opportunities to expand services such as EEG monitoring, ad-hoc dialysis, and advanced consultative support.
  • The VMOC is piloting new approaches to integrate digital health and readiness tools.

Sources:

  • Defense Health Agency
  • Naval Medical Center San Diego
  • Defense Health Network Pacific Rim