After nearly two years of visionary leadership, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Deydre Teyhen relinquished directorship of the Defense Health Network–National Capital Region on April 14, leaving behind a health system that is a benchmark for integration, innovation, and operational readiness within the Military Health System.
While the outcomes speak for themselves—higher patient satisfaction, increased virtual care, streamlined access, and a stronger, more connected workforce—Teyhen attributes it all to one essential ingredient: ‘how’.
“We often focus on the 5W’s: who, what, when, where, and why—but in the NCR, we focused on the ‘how,’” said Teyhen during her final remarks. “How we lead, how we build trust, and how we treat our people and patients. How is critical in leading the joy and soul back to medicine. Governance gave us the foundation to transform this network into an integrated healthcare system that focused on making it better for our patients and our staff.”
Teyhen championed a robust governance model that ensured every facility, specialty, and stakeholder had a seat at the table. Leaders from hospitals and clinics in the network were voting members on the Board of Directors, four systemwide committees, and 14 functional councils. The result was a culture of shared decision-making that accelerated alignment and eliminated roadblocks to execution.
This approach focused on bringing the joy and soul back to medicine enabled:
• 98% of capability and capacity changes to be implemented through formal governance pathways.
• Elimination of stand-alone decision-making, ensuring consistent follow-through across all sites.
• 2600+ missions processed, distributed, and closed—a testament to the network’s operational efficiency.
“Our governance process wasn’t a checkbox,” said Teyhen. “It was a strategy. It’s what enabled execution, collaboration, and ownership at every level.”
Dr. David Smith, Acting Director of the Defense Health Agency, underscored the far-reaching impact of this model.
“Brig. Gen. Teyhen embodies what effective, decisive leadership looks like,” said Smith. “She built a system where facilities weren’t just part of the network; they were the engine of it. Her leadership proves that when you empower those who are delivering health care every day, results follow.”
With governance guiding every initiative, the NCR reached historic highs across multiple operational fronts:
• Enrollment and Access: 12,000 additional patients enrolled; thousands of new primary care appointments added monthly. The improvements in access to care resulted in decreased use civilian urgent care clinics.
• Virtual Health: Expanded across the DHN-NCR from 22 to 154 clinics; 495 providers offering over 3,000 virtual visits per week.
• Surgical Optimization: Operating room utilization exceeded 81%, reaching the highest case volumes since 2022.
• Accreditation: Six successful Joint Commission surveys—including both Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and A.T. Augusta Military Medical Center—were completed without major findings.
• CMS Recognition: A.T. Augusta Military Medical Center earned 5-star status from CMS, placing it in the top 8% of hospitals nationwide.
• Graduate Medical Education: 98% first-time board pass rate across 51 programs.
Using governance to align specialties and streamline care delivery, DHN-NCR improved both internal operations and patient outcomes:
• Horizontal integration initiatives such as “mammograms while you wait,” over-the-counter prenatal vitamin access, and remote pharmacy activation removed barriers to care and improved health outcomes.
• Vertical integration across product lines like orthopedics and pulmonary ensured patients moved more seamlessly between their primary care and specialty care providers.
• A standardized bed report improved real-time patient flow, while credentialing and privileging processes were harmonized, reducing time to complete the privileging process by 34%.
Governance also played a role in transforming the region’s culture. Under Teyhen’s leadership:
• Burnout dropped 4% in less than 1 year, supported by frontline leadership training for more than 450 personnel and the launch of My Military Health huddle programs.
• Well-being was 39% higher among staff engaged in effective daily team huddles.
• Engagement survey participation rose to 67%, far exceeding the industry standard.
In communications, all 34 MTFs focused on improving our patients’ ability to navigate the healthcare system. A redesigned patient guidebook served as the foundation for beneficiary education, while outreach campaigns for MHS GENESIS and My Military Health helped staff and patients transition confidently to new digital platforms.
As Teyhen departs to serve as Director of Defense Health Network Indo-Pacific and Commanding General of Medical Readiness Command, Pacific, her blueprint for leadership remains.
“I’ve had many incredible roles, but the NCR was special,” Teyhen said. “Because here, I got to lead a team that believed the ‘how’ matters—that excellence, trust, and compassion aren’t just values, but ways of doing the work. We worked hard to bring the joy and soul back to medicine. And we did it together.”
| Date Taken: | 04.14.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.14.2025 15:26 |
| Story ID: | 495285 |
| Location: | BETHESDA, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 49 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, ‘How’ Made It Happen: Brig. Gen. Deydre Teyhen’s Governance-Driven Approach Propels Transformation Across National Capital Region, by Rick McNamara, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
