Courtesy Photo | Samantha Nielson, Peterson Space Force Base health promotions registered dietician,...... read more read more
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By Doug Holl, Defense Health Agency-Public Health Public Affairs
The Armed Forces Wellness Center headquarters team, which is part of Defense Health Agency-Public Health located in Aberdeen, Maryland, achieved a major milestone with the American Medical Association’s approval of a new Current Procedural Terminology code for air displacement plethysmography, which is a body composition analysis method used across the DHA health promotion enterprise.
This new code, which goes into effect in January 2026, enables standardized reporting of whole-body composition assessments, offering AFWCs a higher level of precision in evaluating services provided to military hospital or clinic beneficiaries.
“The addition of this code allows for greater granularity and more refined measurement of readiness-focused health promotion activities across the Military Health System,” said Michael Jarka, AFWC health promotion program manager.
The approval will increase transparency between the primary care teams and health promotion/AFWC teams, said Joanna Ward-Brown, AFWC operations project officer. Previously this service was being provided by either the AFWC or medical clinic but not captured in the electronic medical record as there was no code for body composition assessment via air displacement technology.
“This means that AFWCs and other military hospitals and clinics around the world can accurately capture body composition assessments using Bod Pod air displacement technology,” said Ward-Brown. “Accurately depicting services offered through the military hospital or clinic in the electronic medical record is critical and is a requirement for the Joint Commission, which certifies healthcare organizations across the U.S.”
For the first time, DHA can clinically track this capability through coded encounters, enhancing visibility of preventive services and performance optimization efforts, said Jarka.
“Previously, these data were captured inconsistently or excluded from clinical metrics entirely,” he said.
The new code allows AFWCs to capture the whole picture of the individual; specifically, it allows the entire care team to ensure service members are maintaining a healthy body composition and preventing diseases associated with obesity. The code increases efficiencies and ensures the warfighter’s health is being addressed holistically, said Ward-Brown.
To get approval, Ward-Brown submitted an application request to the AMA CPT Editorial Panel, which then reviewed it at their May 2025 meeting in New York. The panel accepted only 36 of the 80 applications reviewed during the meeting.
According to the AMA, the CPT Editorial Panel, a body appointed by the AMA board of trustees, is responsible for maintaining and updating the CPT code set, which is used to report medical services and procedures. The panel ensures the CPT codes reflect the latest medical care available. The process involves several steps, including submitting applications, review by AMA staff and CPT advisors, and final decision-making by the panel.
“It’s a very rigorous process—about 800 doctors attend that meeting,” said Ward-Brown. “The panel advisors become the ‘shepherds’ of my application and represent me before the panel at the AMA CPT editorial panel meeting. I was also given the opportunity to present my case and answer questions.”
After all questions/concerns have been addressed, the panel then votes, and results are posted on the AMA website a few weeks following the meeting, said Ward-Brown. She subsequently received the panel’s approval letter.
“One thing this accomplishment shows is that DHA assets have good partnerships with outside agencies,” said Ward-Brown.
The AFWC team plans to distribute the code across the enterprise in January 2026 as part of their implementation plan.
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| Date Taken: | 07.31.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.31.2025 12:42 |
| Story ID: | 544394 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 54 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Armed Forces Wellness Centers secure first-ever medical code for body composition assessments, by Douglas Holl, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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