JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash.– Medical leaders at Joint Base Lewis-McChord are working to integrate military health care services across branches to improve efficiency and strengthen deployment readiness.
Historically, the Soldier Readiness Processing site on the installation has been operated by personnel from Madigan Army Medical Center (MAMC), while the Air Force has managed its deployment preparation independently. Leaders from both services are now collaborating to merge resources and establish a single, installation-wide capability rather than maintaining parallel systems.
“We operate as a joint medical force in theater; it is absolutely vital that we collaborate in preparing all personnel as they get ready to deploy,” said Col. Jimmy Watts, director, Madigan Army Medical Center. MAMC comprises a network of medical facilities located in Washington and California that serve more than 100,000 active-duty service members, their families and retirees, providing healthcare delivery under the Defense Health Agency.
As part of the integration effort, the combined Army and Air Force team is reviewing Air Force-specific deployment requirements and determining how best to incorporate them into the existing Soldier Readiness Processing site. Madigan and the 62nd Medical Squadron have already taken steps toward greater collaboration by integrating general dentists from Madigan into the McChord Clinic.
Officials stated that the decision to expand operations at the McChord Clinic was primarily driven by the facility’s robust infrastructure and well-established processes. Among the clinics on the installation, McChord’s facility most closely aligns with Joint Commission standards, making it well-suited to support a broader mission. Leaders also anticipate that the integration will lead to improvements in access to care.
Organizational changes were also made to support full integration. Before October, 2025, Air Force personnel at the McChord Clinic reported through Air Force leadership, while the clinic’s officer in charge reported to Madigan’s Department of Family Medicine. Leaders said that arrangement limited the unity of effort. The clinic is now unified under Col. John Hatfield, who has operational control of all assigned personnel and is responsible for the clinic’s operating budget.
Madigan Army Medical Center and the 62nd Medical Squadron are continuing to identify additional opportunities for collaboration, including the integration of pharmacy operations, to improve both efficiency and effectiveness of care across the installation.
For more information on the 62nd Medical Squadron, visit: https://lewismcchord.tricare.mil/ To learn more about Madigan Army Medical Center and its outlying clinics, visit: https://madigan.tricare.mil/