Readiness Of Medical Providers In The Military Health System: Overview Of Operational And Policy Considerations

US military forces have diverse missions, including combat, response to natural disasters, humanitarian assistance, training, and diplomacy. The military's medical forces, composed of clinical providers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, support these operations-often on a moment's notice. The Military Health System (MHS) must ensure that medical providers are always trained and equipped to deliver care when deployed on missions in often austere environments. As part of its approach to this challenge, the MHS has initiated a data-driven effort to determine required clinical competencies by identifying and measuring the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for care in these environments. These efforts are being implemented while the MHS is undergoing significant organizational change. In this article we describe past and current efforts to maintain a ready medical force as well as current challenges and opportunities related to maintaining the readiness of medical providers while the MHS intends to evolve into an integrated health system.