MHCE APRIL 2024

News from MHCE 

APRIL 2024 EDITION 

Tricare Users Can Now Refill 

Prescriptions Through MHS Genesis 

Electronic Health Record System 

See page 10 

Monthly Newsletter 

WWW.MHCE.US 

the interim, qualifying active duty 

service members may reach out 

to their providers to complete the 

necessary paperwork and begin the 

process. 

Qualifying active duty service 

members who have obtained assisted 

reproductive technology services at 

their own expense after the effective 

date of amended policy, will be able 

to seek reimbursement once the 

policy is fully implemented. 

DOD Amends Assisted 

Reproductive Services 

Policy for Seriously, 

Severely Ill or Injured Active 

Duty Service Members 

Under the amended policy, active 

duty service members with a 

qualifying illness or injury may 

now access this extended benefit 

regardless of their marital status, 

and they may now use donor 

gametes (sperm, egg, or both) and 

embryos, when procured at their 

own expense. 

Although active-duty service 

members with a qualifying illness 

or injury may begin to use this 

benefit now, implementation of 

the amended policy will take 

some time. The Defense Health 

Agency, who is responsible for 

implementing the policy changes, 

expects necessary updates will 

be completed by the summer. In 

Kimberly Lahm, a program director 

in the Office of the Deputy Assistant 

Secretary of Defense for Health 

Affairs for Health Services Policy 

and Oversight, said the changes to 

the policy reflect the department's 

commitment toward ensuring equity 

of access to reproductive health care 

for those who serve. 

"We continue to identify ways to 

lean forward as much as we can 

in support of equity of access to 

reproductive health care for our 

service members," Lahm said. 

In general, the department is 

not authorized to provide these 

services, and they are excluded 

from TRICARE coverage, except in 

the provision of these services for 

active duty service members with a 

qualifying illness or injury. 

Continued on page 9

2 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us APRIL2024 EDITION WWW.MHCE.US 

Monthly Newsletter | 3






Monthly Newsletter | 9 

Under the amended 

policy, qualifying 

active-duty service 

members are no longer 

required to be married 

to access assisted 

reproductive technology 

services, allowing 

service members with 

a qualifying illness 

or injury who are 

single or in unmarried 

partnerships to utilize 

the benefit. 

The amended policy 

also allows for coverage 

of assisted reproductive 

technology services 

for a qualifying active 

duty service members' 

spouse, unmarried 

partner, or third party 

surrogate, so long as 

these parties are enrolled 

in TRICARE. While 

the amended policy no 

longer prohibits the 

use of a surrogate, paid 

surrogacy arrangements 

continued to be excluded. 

Another key change 

to this policy is the 

removal of the ban 

on the use of donor 

gametes (egg, sperm, 

or both). Therefore, 

service members with 

a qualifying illness or 

injury may now use 

donor eggs, sperm or 

embryos when procured 

at the service member's 

expense. 

Lahm said the 

adjustments to the 

existing policy are specifically 

targeted to help more active-duty 

service members who have suffered 

a qualifying illness or injury realize 

their family planning goals, in 

accordance with DOD authority to 

provide this benefit. 

Since taking office, Secretary of 

Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has 

prioritized efforts to strengthen 

support for DOD personnel and 

family members under his "Taking 

Care of Our Service Members and 

Families" campaign. 

Those efforts include key initiatives 

to improve the lives of service 

members and their families through 

access to quality and affordable 

child care and easing the burden of 

relocation for military families. 

Lahm said women's health policy 

and access to reproductive care 

are important areas of focus, within the 

broader initiative to take care of military 

families. 

That includes Austin's October 2022 

directive ensuring access to reproductive 

health care and expanding contraceptive 

access through walk-in contraception 

services at all major military medical 

treatment facilities, among other 

initiatives. 

Lahm said ensuring access to reproductive 

health care gives service members the 

resources needed to support their family 

planning goals and is important to overall 

quality of life. 

"We're doing what we can to support 

our service members in making the 

reproductive health decisions that align 

with their family planning goals," Lahm 

said. "That is just one example of how 

we're supporting Secretary Austin's 

'taking care of our people' initiative."



release. Patients requested about 

30,000 refills through MHS Genesis 

in the first week the service was 

available. 

In addition to requesting prescription 

refills, patients can access their 

health data, notes, test results and 

appointments within MHS Genesis, 

and they can request prescription 

renewals and communicate with 

health care providers via secure 

messaging. 

Tricare Users Can Now Refill 

Prescriptions Through MHS Genesis 

Electronic Health Record System 

Beneficiaries wanted the ability to 

request refills within MHS Genesis, 

U.S. Public Health Service Lt. Cmdr. 

Minh Doan, patient portal solution 

owner for the Defense Health 

Agency, said in the news release. "It 

is another tool for beneficiaries to 

manage their own health care." 

Patients may still request refills from 

military pharmacies by using the 

automated phone system, a Defense 

Health Agency spokesperson stated. 

beneficiaries can now request 

prescription refills from military 

pharmacies by logging into their 

MHS Genesis electronic health 

record. 

The Defense Health Agency added 

the "new feature" to the MHS 

Genesis Patient Portal on Feb. 29. 

The new refill option applies only 

if a military pharmacy originally 

filled the prescription. Prescriptions 

originally filled by Express 

Scripts home delivery or a retail 

network pharmacy must be refilled 

accordingly. 

Patients who would like to renew a 

refill in MHS Genesis should click 

on the "Rx Refills" tab on their MHS 

Genesis Patient Portal home page, 

the Defense Health Agency said in 

a news releasedated March 15. The 

portal allows users to see all their 

prescriptions that are available to 

refill; to choose which to refill and 

where; and to find out when they're 

ready to pick up. 

MHS Genesis deems a prescription 

eligible for a refill when it estimates 

that 75% of the previous fill of the 

medication has been used. "Your 

prescriptions won't be eligible for 

refill before that time," according to 

the release. 

To register their MHS Genesis 

account, Tricare beneficiaries need 

their DoD Self-Service Logon, 

or DS Logon, from the Defense 

Manpower Data Center, a Personal 

Identity Verification card, or a 

Common Access Card. 

The Defense Department completed 

its deployment of MHS Genesis 

in October, and it's "now in use at 

every [U.S.] military hospital and 

clinic worldwide," according to the 

As of March 13, outages of the 

patient portals were still a possibility, 

stemming from a cyberattack 

against Change Healthcare, part of 

UnitedHealth Group, according to 

the Tricare website. In an outage, 

call the automated phone line to 

request your refill. 

Tricare patients can still log in to 

their Tricare Online Patient Portal 

accounts until Oct. 1 to download 

personal health information.



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DOD Remains Committed to Protecting 

Health of Service Members, Learning From 

Effects of COVID-19 

Dr. Lester Martinez-Lopez, assistant secretary 

of defense for health affairs, and Shauna 

Stahlman, senior managing epidemiologist 

and technical lead in the field of epidemiology 

and analysis at the Armed Forces Health 

Surveillance Division, provided insight into 

the Pentagon's ongoing monitoring of COVID- 

19-related issues during a roughly 45-minute 

appearance before a House Armed Services 

Committee. 

"Today, four years after the emergence of 

SARS-CoV-2 virus, it continues to circulate 

in our military communities and evolve into 

new variants, presenting and ongoing health 

threat capable of harming service members 

and affecting operations," Martinez-Lopez told 

members of the Subcommittee on Personnel. 

"The department remains committed to 

protecting the health of the force and to better 

understand these impacts." 

In addressing some of the specific ways in 

which DOD is attempting to get a leg up on 

COVID-19, Martinez-Lopez pointed to a 

pair of databases that medical analysts are 

using to investigate data and trends related 

to COVID-19. One is the Defense Medical 

Surveillance System, or DMSS, which is 

a relational database that is continuously 

expanding with the documentation of service 

members' individual medical experiences 

throughout their careers; the second is the 

Defense Medical Epidemiology Database, 

which provides limited remote access to DMSS 

information.



Hicks Underscores DOD's 

Commitment to Suicide Prevention 

Providing supportive and protective 

environments is a top priority at the highest 

reaches of the Pentagon, Hicks said as she 

underscored the dedication of those who 

have worked tirelessly to "spread hope, 

address stigma and other barriers to care, 

and drive a healthier culture." 

"It takes devoted teams to tackle the 

difficult subject of suicide prevention," she 

said. "Over the years, we've understood 

that we cannot go about this work with 

a one-size-fits-all approach. Suicide has 

no single root cause or solution. That's 

why the department is taking a public 

health approach — because this problem 

requires a range of prevention methods 

and treatment options to get after it." 

Hicks joined several top officials — 

including Gilbert Cisneros, undersecretary 

of defense for personnel and readiness; 

Elizabeth B. Foster, executive director 

of the Office of Force Resiliency; Jeffrey 

R. Register, director of Defense Human 

Resources Activity; and Liz Clark, 

director of the Defense Suicide Prevention 

Office — in recognizing several units that 

demonstrated innovation and excellence 

in suicide prevention during fiscal 2021- 

2022. 

"Today's recipients have been working 

tirelessly to implement that approach," 

Hicks said. "They've taken major steps 

to promote connectedness, belonging and 

community ... to find creative ways to 

promote new and available health care 

options." 

Those units receiving the recognition 

include U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland- 

Pfalz in Kaiserlautern, Germany; Guam 

Army National Guard in Barrigada, Guam; 

Marine Aircraft Group 12 in Iwakuni, 

Japan; Naval Special Warfare U.S. Special 

Operations Command in San Diego; and 

Air Force Air Combat Command jointly 

with Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton 

and Newport News, Virginia. 

"Our honorees' work on suicide prevention 

has been more than conceptual," Hicks 

said. "They've launched campaigns to get 

the word out on life-changing information. 

They've organized outreach events to 

increase awareness. They've helped 

match people to the community support 

systems that best suit their needs. And 

they've nurtured connectedness at every 

level — from individuals to the squadron, 

command, and battalion levels — to help 

save lives. 

"These programs, and the people who 

implement and manage them, have made 

the fight against suicide a top priority," she 

said. 

In recognition of September as National 

Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, 

DOD has launched its 2023-2024 annual 

campaign, titled "Connect to Protect: 

Support is within Reach." 

In his remarks during the recognition 

ceremony, Cisneros emphasized the 

importance of establishing healthy 

connections and relationships in suicide 

prevention. 

"There is often a sense among the military 

community and among service members 

that they need to be strong and fully 

capable at all times," he said. "They 

believe strength is enduring their lowest 

moments, and darkest thoughts alone. But 

nothing could be further from the truth. 

"We recognize that asking for help is 

challenging, but we are making it easier 

to get help in the military community 

by creating connections through local 

programing," he said. "We help by saying 

we are here for you. We help by creating 

supportive and protective environments. 

That is our goal and one which we must 

continue to strive towards." 

While stationed in the 48 contiguous states, 

service members, veterans and family 

members in crisis can seek help through 

the veterans/military crisis line by: 

Calling 988 and accessing option 1. 

Texting to 838255. 

Chatting at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat. 

Those stationed outside of the U.S. can 

access the crisis line by: 

Calling 00800 1273 8255 or 

DSN 118 in Europe. 

Calling 080-855-5118 or 

DSN 118 in Japan and Korea. 

Dialing 1-800 273-8255 or 

DSN 111 in Afghanistan. 

To access noncrisis support, service 

members and their immediate family 

members can connect with Military 

OneSource for free access to confidential 

counseling. 

Mental health and counseling services are 

also available through Tricare. 

DOD civilian employees can access 

resources, information and confidential 

help by calling 1-866-580-9046.



A Journey of Inspiration, Leadership 

In an exclusive interview, I had 

the pleasure of sitting down 

with U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Telita 

Crosland, the fourth director 

of the Defense Health Agency, 

to delve into her extraordinary 

leadership journey. Throughout 

our discussion, she shared 

personal anecdotes and insights 

that have shaped her life as a 

leader, woman and an African 

American professional. From 

her humble beginnings in the 

boroughs of New York City, to 

her current role as a trailblazer 

in military medicine, she 

reflects on pivotal moments 

and offers invaluable advice 

to aspiring leaders. Crosland 

was born in the Brooklyn and 

later raised in Queens, where 

she cultivated a great passion 

for service and leadership. 

Reflecting on her upbringing, 

she described the tightly knit 

community. Crosland drew 

parallels to television shows of 

yesteryear, reminisced about 

her neighborhood, comprising 

rows of cozy, free-standing 

houses, the environment where 

she cherished the close bonds 

within her family, including her 

mother, father, two brothers, 

and sister — each contributing 

to the formative childhood 

memories that shaped her early 

life and who she is today. 

At an early age, Crosland 

knew she wanted to become a 

doctor. "I always wanted to be 

a physician, since I was about 5 

years old," Crosland said of her 

calling to the profession. 

Values 

Her parents and family instilled 

in her a trio of values she has 

carried throughout her journey: 

expectations, accountability 

and unconditional love. 

"You take those expectations, 

accountability 

and 

unconditional love, and you 

apply that to who you are as an 

adult and as a leader," Crosland 

said. "As a leader, my job is to 

make sure I set the conditions 

so that those expectations can 

be realized. Absolutely, I see



the fingerprints of my parents 

on the accountability — you're 

here to bring value. "You're here 

to contribute to this world no 

matter what, do what is right. " 

"My sister is a teacher, and my 

brother is in law enforcement," 

she added. "A lot of us serve, but 

you have to do good for others. 

That starts with doing good for 

your family." 

She explained it as first, they set 

high expectations, not only for 

her but also for her siblings. Next, 

they emphasized the importance 

of accountability, teaching her 

to take responsibility for her 

actions. Lastly, they showered 

her with unconditional love, 

affirming her value as a human 

being and instilling in her a duty 

to contribute to her family, her 

community and beyond. 

Framing 

Addressing the intersectionality 

of her identity as a woman 

and an African American in 

the military, Crosland said she 

doesn't focus her achievements 

through that lens. 

"I don't actually frame anything 

I do day-in and day-out in the 

terms of my race or my gender. 

That's always been a hard 

question for me to answer," she 

said. "It's not because I don't 

understand the responsibility … 

certainly, there are challenges 

that come from being a woman 

in the military, there are 

challenges that come from being 

African American and being in 

the military." 

As I became more senior, I had 

a better appreciation of my role 

and responsibility to be a good 

role model for the community of 

women and African Americans 

and service members," Crosland 

continued. "Folks will look at 

me and they will see different 

aspects that resonate with 

them. And I'm accountable and 

responsible for the parts that 

resonate with them. Whether 

you're a woman, whether you're 

African American, and I didn't 

always lean into that, but I 

certainly become more mindful 

of it and try to lean into that by 

being more accessible, being 

more transparent, so that folks 

understand who you are." 

Crosland does not frame her 

accomplishments solely in 

terms of race or gender. She 

emphasizes that while she 

acknowledges the significance 

of her role in representing these 

attributes in the military and 

society, she does not classify her 

achievements based on these 

factors. Instead, she focuses 

on embracing her unique 

identity and strives to inspire 

others, surpassing barriers and 

dispelling stereotypes along the 

way. 

As a massive advocate for 

mentorship and professional 

development, Crosland 

underscores investing in the next 

generation. She highlights the 

significance of mentorship and 

emphasizes the responsibility 

of other leaders to share their 

stories to help contribute to the 

growth of others. 

"The most significant thing I 

will do as a director is make sure 

the organization is positioned to 

continue its legacy of greatness 

to do the hard work," she 

explained. "The only way you 

do that is invest in those around 

you — to help them grow, learn 

and be positioned to say, 'We've 

got to invest in our future, and 

so I'm committed to that for our 

entire team,' regardless of your 

race, regardless of your gender." 

"I am mindful that if I 

communicate the right way, 

authentically, transparently, 

truthfully, that it will resonate 

with minorities, it will resonate 

with women because they'll see 

themselves in me." 

Inspired by a childhood book 

and fueled by her determination, 

she even wrote a poem affirming 

her aspirations. Throughout her 

upbringing, she stayed steadfast 

in her desire to pursue a career 

in medicine. She attributes her 

unwavering determination to 

her parents, whom she considers 

her greatest inspiration. 

Learning From Experiences 

She prioritizes leader 

development and ensures the 

Defense Health Agency is 

positioned to uphold its legacy of 

greatness. With a commitment 

to the professional development 

of her team, she communicates 

authentically, fostering a sense 

of inclusion and belonging to 

all within the DHA. In addition, 

she offers sound advice to 

young individuals and urges 

them to stay present, embrace 

challenges and never succumb 

to self-doubt. She reflects on 

her early days as a medical 

intern to assuming command 

as a colonel. Each milestone 

has shaped her resilience and 

fortitude into what it is today. 

Crosland encourages the next 

generation to seize opportunities 

and chart their path to success. 

"When I was younger, 

everything was a big deal," 

Crosland said. "Everything felt 

intense. Everything felt that this 

is the moment, and looking back on myself, I would say, 'take a 

deep breath. Be in the moment.'" 

She also highlights the importance of taking a deep breath and 

placing each experience in context. Crosland encourages aspiring 

leaders to be present, using their current resources and knowledge 

to do their best. She cautions against focusing on the uncertainties 

of tomorrow by noting, "Don't borrow worry from tomorrow; it 

will find you," urging individuals not to waste present opportunities 

due to worries about the future. 

CAMP 

NURSE



“It just means we are here and that 

reassured our allies and partner 

nations,” Capt. Paul Burkhart, 

commanding officer of the Bataan, 

said after disembarking the ship. 

Hampton Roads Sailors 

from Bataan Group Return 

from 8-Month Deployment 

“Let’s go home,” Petty Officer 

3rd Class Marquez Martinez said 

while adjusting his sea bag on his 

shoulder. 

“Yes, let’s go,” beamed wife 

Katarina Martinez, toting 

8-month-old Alaina on her hip 

while 2-year-old Mason sat in 

the stroller. The kids donned starspangled 

pants that complemented 

their father’s dress blues. 

Martinez, an information systems 

technician, was one of 1,000 sailors 

welcomed home Thursday from 

the Bataan Amphibious Ready 

Group following an extended 

eight-month deployment to the 

Middle East. The group included 

assault ship USS Bataan, which 

pulled into port Thursday at Naval 

Station Norfolk, and dock landing 

ship USS Carter Hall, which 

returned to its homeport of Joint 

Expeditionary Base Little Creek 

in Virginia Beach. Transport dock 

USS Mesa Verde, homeported at 

Naval Station Norfolk, returns 

Friday. 

The 26th Marine Expeditionary 

Unit deployed with the Bataan 

group July 10 from Hampton 

Roads to create an interoperable 

force capable of storming foreign 

shores. The rapid response Marine 

force returned home to Camp 

Lejeune, North Carolina. 

The mission for this deployment 

was all about presence. 

Less than two weeks after the 

group deployed, the Bataan 

and Carter Hall were ordered 

to sail to the Middle East to 

bolster maritime security. After 

roughly four months of deterring 

aggression, the Department of 

Defense sent the Bataan group 

toward Israel following the Oct. 7 

attack by Hamas, long designated 

a terrorist organization by the 

U.S. The Bataan and Carter Hall 

operated in the Red Sea before 

later rejoining the Mesa Verde in 

the Eastern Mediterranean. 

The Bataan group participated in 

Operation Prosperity Guardian, 

a U.S.-led multinational security 

task force formed in December 

to respond to increased Iranianbacked 

Houthi attacks on shipping 

in the Red Sea. 

“It’s all about contingency 

response — special operations 

that we see are necessary in 

today’s world to do the wide 

variety of missions, specifically in 

the Eastern Mediterranean,” said 

Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander 

of Norfolk-based U.S. Fleet 

Forces.

24 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us APRIL2024 EDITION 

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MHCE APRIL 2024

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