SAN DIEGO – The Defense Health Agency has formally designated Naval Medical Center San Diego's (NMCSD) Maxillofacial Restoration Program as a Department of War Specialty Center of Excellence (CoE).
The designation, which is official as of May 18, establishes an enterprise-wide standard of care and regional center for treating service members and beneficiaries with complex facial trauma, head and neck cancer, and congenital or pathologic conditions of the face, mouth or jaw.
Alongside NMCSD, the DHA has also designated Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio, Texas, as a CoE, creating a powerful, joint capability to scale this critical specialty across the Military Health System (MHS).
The establishment of the CoE is a direct response to the growing need for advanced restorative capabilities seamlessly integrating dentistry and reconstructive surgery. Given that maxillofacial (face, mouth and jaw) injuries account for 30-40% of casualties in recent global conflicts, the increasing prevalence of drone warfare elevates this into a critical readiness issue for the joint force in future fights.
The designation acknowledges NMCSD's unprecedented outcomes in maxillofacial restoration, including a 94% return-to-duty rate for active-duty service members and treatment timelines that significantly exceed civilian sector standards.
“This designation as a Center of Excellence reflects our commitment to delivering world-class specialty care to our warfighters and their families,” said Defense Health Network Pacific Rim Director Rear Adm. Kevin Brown. “NMCSD's maxillofacial restoration team has revolutionized treatment protocols, achieving results that directly support force readiness while transforming the standard of care in facial reconstruction.”
The program has treated more than 70 patients since its inception, leveraging nine integrated clinical care pathways and a team of over 125 specialists across multiple disciplines. Notable achievements include:
“This recognition validates the innovative spirit and dedication of our maxillofacial restoration team,” said Capt. Elizabeth Adriano, NMCSD director. “Their integrated approach transforms lives and directly sustains force readiness. Furthermore, by keeping these highly complex restorative cases within the MTF, we are advancing our core priorities—ensuring our military medical providers maintain the critical, high-acuity skills required to support the warfighter in future conflicts.”
The program's success stems from its pioneering integration of nine clinical care pathways, including preoperative optimization leveraging telehealth, head and neck cancer care, advanced pain management protocols, nursing-led early recovery after surgery protocol, speech and swallow restoration, rapid dental restoration, mental health and wellness, comprehensive physical rehabilitation and deep focus on research, education and training. This coordinated approach ensures that every aspect of a patient's recovery is carefully planned and managed from day one, leading to superior outcomes and faster recovery times. In addition, the coordinated effort leads to medical force generation and readiness across all phases of patient care.
“This designation validates what we've known since establishing this program in 2020—that our comprehensive, integrated approach to maxillofacial restoration is transforming lives and enhancing military readiness,” said Cmdr. Daniel Hammer, director of NMCSD's Maxillofacial Restoration Program. “Our patient-centered approach integrates both physical and psychological recovery, ensuring complete restoration of function and well-being. We don’t just reconstruct faces, we restore lives, helping our patients face the world with confidence and our warfighters return to readiness.”
NMCSD's program is unique in its integration of dental rehabilitation with surgical reconstruction, offering procedures like “Jaw in a Day” that provides immediate reconstruction with dental rehabilitation. The program has performed more than 35 of these procedures, including the Department of War's first-ever immediate jaw reconstruction using 3D-printed teeth.
While the program’s primary mission is military readiness, its pioneering medical advancements are also making a profound impact on the local community.
“This transformative care has also strengthened collaboration with UC San Diego Health,” added Adriano. “Through clinical rotations at local San Diego hospitals, Cmdr. Hammer and the NMCSD team have performed these complex restorative procedures alongside surgeons at UC San Diego Health. The partnership allows Navy Medicine providers to sustain critical surgical proficiency while sharing innovative techniques pioneered at Naval Medical Center San Diego. By advancing the practice of maxillofacial reconstruction beyond the Military Health System, the collaboration demonstrates how military medical innovation can improve outcomes for both warfighters and the broader community.”
As Centers of Excellence, NMCSD and BAMC will serve as the primary referral centers for complex maxillofacial restoration cases across the MHS, scale best practices, and advance research and training in the field.
The program provides care and treatment for active-duty service members from all branches, veterans, retirees, and TRICARE-eligible beneficiaries. Treatment is provided at no cost to TRICARE-eligible beneficiaries.
For more information about NMCSD's Maxillofacial Restoration Program, visit: https://sandiego.tricare.mil/Health-Services/Specialty-Care/Maxillofacial-Restoration-Program
About Naval Medical Center San Diego: The mission of NMCSD is to optimize health and enhance readiness. NMCSD employs more than 5,000 active-duty military personnel, civilians, and contractors in Southern California to deliver exceptional care afloat and ashore.
About the 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.