Navy Medicine is showcasing the importance of innovation by recognizing July as Health Innovation Month in efforts to continue to improve care through innovation.

Throughout the month, Navy Medicine will cultivate a culture of innovation by highlighting initiatives and programs that improve the convenience and experience of its services, and how it uses technology to better serve Sailors, Marines and their families.

"Our priority is ensuring the health and well-being of an increasingly young Navy and Marine Corps force with demanding jobs and busy lives," said Vice Adm. Forrest Faison, Navy surgeon general and chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED). "Innovation is a critical part of our mission."

BUMED is creating a culture of innovation by accelerating the implementation and increasing scale of innovative ideas across Navy Medicine.

"Innovation never stops," said Cmdr. Hassan Tetteh, lead, Navy Medicine Futures and Innovation Office. "We need to ensure that innovation is part of our culture at Navy Medicine."

The surgeon general's assessment cell is one way Navy Medicine is creating a culture of innovation. It provides an unfiltered conduit for innovative ideas from the deckplate to reach the surgeon general on topics ranging from sustaining critical skills to digital medicine.

Navy Medicine is improving the convenience of care through innovative programs and procedures such as Naval Medical Center Portsmouth's (NMCP) Picture Archiving Communication System, which uses teleradiology to network hospitals and clinics, providing the ability to remotely review x-rays and magnetic resonance images.

Simulation and training labs at NMCP and Navy Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) provide physicians and corpsmen state-of-the-art training, allowing them to improve the quality and the experience of care for all beneficiaries across Navy Medicine.

Additionally, Navy Medicine is finding new innovative ways to leverage technology. For example, the Digital Health Office at BUMED is developing mobile applications which improve access to Navy Medicine on mobile devices.

Navy Medicine is also finding new innovative ways to use existing technology. For example, NMCSD is posting live pharmacy wait times on its website to improve patient experience.

"We must continue providing the best care that our nation can offer," Faison said. "The solution to every challenge we face is between the ears of one member of our team, and our team is the most capable, highly-trained, and dedicated team that I have seen in my career."

U.S. Navy Medicine is a global health care network of 63,000 Navy medical personnel around the world who provide high quality health care to more than one million eligible beneficiaries. Navy Medicine personnel deploy with Sailors and Marines worldwide, providing critical mission support aboard ship, in the air, under the sea and on the battlefield.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Navy Medicine, visit http://www.navy.mil/.