Photo By Regena Kowitz | Defense Health Network Pacific Rim Director Rear Adm. Guido Valdes talks with Patrick...... read more read more
SAN DIEGO – Rear Adm. Guido Valdes, director of Defense Health Network Pacific Rim, hosted Patrick Picardo, executive director of the Office of VA/DoD Health Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, July 10 to discuss implementation of a DOD and VA initiative to expand healthcare collaboration. Two of DHN-PR’s military hospitals and clinics, Naval Medical Center San Diego and Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, have been designated jointly as one of five initial shared sites nationwide.
The two hospitals are participating as a single shared site due to their geographic proximity. They are also close to the San Diego VA Healthcare System’s medical center, which is approximately 15 miles from NMCSD and 41 miles from NHCP. The initiative will focus on enhancing readiness skills for DoD medical professionals, expanding access to care for TRICARE beneficiaries and veterans, and reducing network costs. It will achieve these goals by leveraging shared clinical workload capacity, aligning operational capabilities, and improving care coordination between these military hospitals and VA San Diego.
“Our mission is grounded in integration—between the Defense Health Agency and Navy Medicine, and now increasingly with the VA,” said Valdes, who is also the Naval Medical Forces Pacific commander. “By working together, we can expand access to care through resource sharing, promote readiness, and reduce reliance on external medical systems while maintaining the highest standards of care.”
The meeting reflected ongoing DOD-VA resource sharing to more efficiently use taxpayer resources and provide timely, coordinated care to eligible beneficiaries.
The discussion overviewed the network's capabilities, which span nine military hospitals and clinics across the Pacific Rim. Leaders at both NMCSD and NHCP met with Picardo and his team July 9 to develop familiarity with the facilities and their scope of operations.
"It was a privilege to host Mr. Patrick Picardo and his team at Naval Medical Center San Diego," said NMCSD Acting Director Capt. Laurie Chavez. "Our discussions reinforced a shared commitment to expanding access to high-quality care for our nation's veterans. Whether it's improving base access, optimizing operating room capacity, or aligning with VA partners, NMCSD remains steadfast in our dedication to delivering world-class medical support to those who have served."
Picardo talked about the value of partnerships to break down barriers and build bridges between the two organizations while also emphasizing how future collaborations will enhance existing relationships between military hospitals and clinics and VA hospitals.
The visit also emphasized the importance of leader-to-leader communication at all levels—local, regional, and national—to maintain alignment and drive progress.
“As we expand these initiatives, it’s critical we stay connected—from the facility level up to the department level,” Valdes said. “That’s how we ensure we are collaborating strategically and making these partnerships work.”
Defense Health Network Pacific Rim (DHN-PR) is one of the Defense Health Agency’s nine networks of hospitals and clinics that deliver high-quality health care to more than 140,000 enrolled beneficiaries, supporting major operational units through the Indo-Pacific. The DHN-PR headquarters is located in San Diego, overseeing military hospitals and clinics along the U.S. West Coast and overseas in Guam and Japan.
| Date Taken: | 07.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.06.2025 18:23 |
| Story ID: | 544956 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 91 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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