Photo By Regena Kowitz | Cmdr. Daniel Hammer, oral maxillofacial surgeon, and U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman (MI-01)...... read more read more
Leaders at Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD), part of the Defense Health Agency’s Defense Health Network Pacific Rim, welcomed U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman (MI-01) on Aug. 11 for an official visit focused on readiness, health care delivery, and an innovative program that is transforming warfighter readiness and patients’ lives.
Bergman, a retired U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant general who serves on the House Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committees and chairs the House Budget Committee Oversight Task Force, spent part of his morning holding a town hall with staff and meeting with key members of NMCSD’s leadership team.
At the town hall, while discussing the importance of leveraging technology to improve patient outcomes, Bergman said, “One of my biggest concerns, and has been for a long time, is dental readiness.”
The congressman emphasized the important connection between dental rehabilitation and warfighter readiness. “We can make so much improvement there because when our folks look in the mirror and smile...it builds not only physical health but also mental health,” Bergman said.
Bergman’s emphasis on dental rehabilitation and its impact on warfighter readiness underscored another reason for his visit, which was to learn more about NMCSD’s Maxillofacial Restoration Program. Cmdr. Daniel Hammer, oral maxillofacial surgeon and program manager, briefed the congressman on this comprehensive, first of its kind, team-based initiative that integrates advanced surgical techniques with dental rehabilitation to restore health and function to patients recovering from significant facial injuries or conditions ranging from cancer to congenital anomalies.
“During Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, head and neck injuries were actually the second most common injuries after extremity wounds,” said Hammer. “Yet there were no centers of excellence created to sustain care, no registries were established to track outcomes, and very few warfighters were able to have dental rehabilitation, which led to poor speech, swallowing and psychological outcomes. Our program is closing that gap, ensuring service members regain the ability to speak, swallow, and return to duty, restored with purpose.”
Since launching in 2020, the program has treated more than 60 patients with complex facial trauma, head and neck cancer, and severe dental injuries, achieving extraordinary results that support force readiness and long-term wellness for military beneficiaries.
NMCSD’s integrated model brings together more than 125 specialists across nine clinical care pathways, ensuring that every aspect of recovery, from surgery and dental rehabilitation to speech therapy and pain management, is coordinated from day one. The program’s outcomes include:
• 94% return-to-duty rate for active duty service members
• Hospital stays under seven days (compared to the national average of 12–13 days)
• More than 95% of patients discharged with the ability to eat by mouth without feeding tubes
• Minimal pain medication required post-surgery (several patients never require narcotics after surgery)
• Full dental rehabilitation included as part of the surgical plan
• Typical return to full duty within 16 weeks
During his visit, Bergman toured the departments that provide integrated support for the Maxillofacial Restoration Program, including the oral maxillofacial surgery department, hospital dentistry department, pain medicine clinic, and C5 (comprehensive combat and complex casualty care). He also visited the Defense Health Agency’s regional dental lab at Naval Base San Diego where the team fabricates dental appliances and prostheses.
“What sets our Maxillofacial Restoration Program apart is that we don’t just perform surgery, we restore health, function, and quality of life,” said Hammer. “It’s a complete, end-to-end model with no civilian equivalent. From the first consult through full recovery, we are with our patients every step of the way.”
NMCSD’s program is one of the few in the country to offer “Jaw in a Day,” a procedure that combines immediate jaw reconstruction with 3D-printed dental implants, all completed in a single surgery. Hammer’s team at NMCSD performed the DoD’s first such procedure and has now completed more than 30.
The Maxillofacial Restoration Program treats active duty service members from all branches, military retirees, and other TRICARE-eligible beneficiaries, with no out-of-pocket cost for those enrolled in TRICARE Prime.
“We were honored to host Representative Bergman and highlight how we are setting a new standard for what’s possible in facial restoration,” said Capt. Elizabeth Adriano, NMCSD director and Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command San Diego commander. “The innovation, skill, and dedication of this team ensures every patient, every warfighter receives the most comprehensive care available in military medicine.”
During the town hall earlier in the day, Bergman spoke about need for a shared commitment to achieve mission success.
“In any organization, whether military, civilian, government, or private, you have to ask, what’s the most important thing we are here to do?” Bergman said. “In the military, it’s to provide for our national defense and bring together the men and women who choose to serve, in uniform or as civilians, as part of a team focused on one thing: the success of the mission. That mission only succeeds when every person is committed to it.”
It’s that same ethos that is embraced by the maxillofacial restoration team and embodied in the approach NMCSD’s staff take to readiness and patient care.
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About Naval Medical Center San Diego:
The mission of NMCSD is to provide a superior experience for our patients, staff, and warfighters. NMCSD employs more than 5,000 active-duty military personnel, civilians, and contractors in Southern California to deliver exceptional care afloat and ashore.
About Defense Health Network Pacific Rim:
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: | 08.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.20.2025 16:56 |
| Story ID: | 546086 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 210 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Congressman Bergman’s Visit Highlights NMCSD's Advanced Maxillofacial Restoration Capabilities, by Regena Kowitz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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