Photo By Daniel Taylor | YOKOSUKA, Japan (March 24, 2026) — Rear Adm. Kevin J. Brown, Defense Health Network...... read more read more
YOKOSUKA, Japan (March 24, 2026) — Rear Adm. Kevin J. Brown, Defense Health Network Pacific Rim director, chief of the Navy’s Medical Corps, and Naval Medical Forces Pacific commander, visited U.S. Naval Hospital (USNH) Yokosuka March 24 to engage with leadership, tour clinical spaces, and recognize personnel for their contributions to medical readiness and patient care.
The visit was part of Brown’s tour of medical commands across the Indo-Pacific and underscored the role of forward-deployed medical teams in keeping forces ready.
During the visit, Brown met with Rear Adm. Ian L. Johnson, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Japan/Navy Region Japan, to discuss the medical landscape in the region.
Brown later toured USNH Yokosuka with Capt. Torrin Velazquez, director of the hospital and commanding officer of U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Yokosuka. The tour gave Brown a detailed view of the hospital’s capabilities and day-to-day operations.
He visited several clinical areas, including the multi-service unit, intensive care unit, maternal infant unit, emergency room and family medicine clinic, observing patient care and ongoing workflows. Brown also viewed early progress on planned capability upgrades and ongoing renovations at the facility aimed at enhancing care delivery. He met with department and clinical leaders, as well as hospital corpsmen, thanking them for their continued efforts to provide high-quality care to active-duty service members and their families.
He also met with the command triad and board of directors and attended a luncheon with members of the Medical Corps on staff.
An all-hands call was held in the hospital’s command auditorium, where Brown addressed the command and presented coins to Sailors and civilians for superior performance and dedication to mission.
Ms. Korakot Gilmer, who was not present to receive her coin, was recognized for her role in preparing the hospital and its branch clinics for multiple inspections by the College of American Pathologists and the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies, contributing to a 98% success rate and improving diagnostic turnaround times across the region.
Lt. Kodjo B. Klousse, division officer for the laboratory department, was recognized for leading a 54-member laboratory team that completed more than 250,000 clinical tests while maintaining compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards, ensuring sustained laboratory support across the Indo-Pacific.
Serving as the Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program administrator, Hospitalman Raven Harris was recognized for managing care for 24,000 beneficiaries, coordinating more than 800 therapy sessions and administered more than 1,300 breathalyzer tests, contributing to a 99% return-to-duty rate for service members following treatment.
The visit concluded with an office call between Brown and Rear Adm. Takehito Sawamura, surgeon general and director for medicine, Maritime Staff Office, Japan Ministry of Defense, and Rear Adm. Yoshii, commander of the Undersea Medical Center. The leaders discussed USNH Yokosuka’s continued partnership with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force medical counterparts and highlighted recent bilateral training between Japan Self Defense Force Hospital Yokosuka and U.S. Navy Medicine personnel.
U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka and its branch clinics deliver patient-centered care that supports the readiness of forward-deployed forces and the well-being of their families across the Indo-Pacific.
| Date Taken: | 03.23.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.29.2026 23:17 |
| Story ID: | 561512 |
| Location: | JP |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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