The Defense Health Network Central Deputy Director and Chief of Staff, Mei-Ling Taylor, visited Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, to meet with leadership from the 97th Air Mobility Wing and the Altus military medical treatment facility and tour the clinic on July 30, 2026.
Taylor’s primary goal during the visit was to partner with the Altus MTF to empower their staff, optimize daily operations, and ensure they have the resources needed to deliver the highest quality care to service members and their families while sustaining force readiness.
DHN Central is the military’s largest medical network, managing a joint, integrated system of 39 military hospitals and clinics. Throughout the tour, clinic leaders showcased the innovative ways the MTF has strengthened patient care through collaboration and creative manpower solutions. The laboratory has partnered with Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to augment staffing, while the pharmacy has integrated Airmen awaiting technical training to expand its support to patients. These efforts have allowed the clinic to sustain high- quality care while ensuring personnel remain ready to support the Mighty 97th.
Taylor commended the team’s dedication and their ability to leverage expertise and creative solutions to maximize resources and deliver outstanding results. “My biggest takeaway is that you are true innovators,” Taylor said. “I am absolutely confident that in the future, long after I’m retired, the Air Force is in good hands.”
Taylor emphasized that the partnership between military members and civilian professionals is one of the strengths of military medicine and critical to sustaining readiness.
“By investing in our civilian leaders and supervisors, we directly support readiness,” Taylor said. “Strengthening our civilian workforce allows us to return valuable time to our service members, enabling them to prioritize physical training and core military requirements.” Taylor concluded her visit with an all call for civilian personnel assigned to the medical group, where she thanked them for their commitment to the mission and reinforced the vital role they play in enabling military readiness and ensuring the Mighty 97th can continue generating combat-ready Airmen.