U.S. Naval Hospital Naples to Stand up Navy Medicine Readiness Training Command

GRICIGNANO D'AVERSA, ITALY

09.18.2019

Story by Christina Clarke 

U.S. Naval Hospital Naples

U.S. Naval Hospital (USNH) Naples, Italy, including its Capodichino branch health clinic, will transition to the Defense Health Agency (DHA) no later than September 30, 2021.

To support USNH Naples’ transition, Navy Medicine is establishing a co-located Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC). Navy Medicine, through the NMRTC, retains command and control of the uniformed medical force, and maintains responsibility and authority for operational readiness. This includes the medical readiness of Sailors and Marines, as well as the clinical readiness of the medical force.

The Naples NMRTC will improve the ability of USNH Naples to meet the needs of operational commanders. Survivability of Navy and Marine Corps personnel in the future warfighting environment requires a medical force that’s ready to immediately deploy and save lives.

NMRTCs will report to Naval Medical Forces Atlantic (NMFA) and Pacific (NMFP), formerly known as Navy Medicine East and West, which in turn are accountable to the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.

The commanding officer will serve as both the MTF director under the DHA, and the NMRTC commanding officer under Navy Medicine.

“The NMRTC will allow our staff to hone their knowledge, skills, and abilities while supporting the warfighter,” says Captain Richard Knittig, commanding officer. “The NMRTC embraces the readiness responsibilities of the Navy and provides a mechanism to facilitate the generation of a ready medical force and a medically ready force.”

The change in administration, management and control will be seamless to patients — service members, retirees, and family members — with little or no immediate effect on their experience of care.

“MTFs in the Continental United States (CONUS) will transition to the DHA effective October 1, 2019. Overseas facilities will transition no later than September 30, 2021. We recognize that many of our community members may move back to the states during this reform,” says Knittig. “While the realignment is occurring, MTF missions remain the same – to keep Sailors, Marines and their families healthy, ready, and on the job.”

To achieve Congress’ requirements in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, the DHA will assume administration and management of all military treatment facilities (MTFs). This transition will increase efficiency by eliminating duplication, and enhancing standardization and consistency across the military services.

For the foreseeable future, all facilities’ names will remain the same, and will maintain their Navy affiliation.

While DHA will be responsible for health care delivery and business operations, Navy Medicine will retain principal responsibility for operational readiness of the medical force.

USNH Naples, the largest naval hospital in Europe, serves a diverse population of over 9,800 beneficiaries. Over 500 staff members at the main hospital, branch health clinic, and Navy Liaison Detachment in Landstuhl, Germany work tirelessly to keep warfighters in the fight.

• Date Taken: 09.18.2019
• Date Posted: 09.23.2019 05:57
• Story ID: 342972
• Location: GRICIGNANO D'AVERSA, IT