AFMRA establishes policies and procedures for providing lifecycle medical materiel management and maintenance for health protection and health care delivery at institutional activities and in worldwide theaters of operation. AFMRA continually evaluates enterprise-wide resource requirements and the organizational structure to execute such mission responsibilities as delivering full-spectrum medical logistics support, optimizing medical resources and clinical excellence, aerospace medicine, and radiation protection.

AFMRA needed to find proactive ways to improve delivery and reduce costs for the Air Force Medical Service. This necessitated a full analysis of medical logistics operations, including medical equipment management and facility management. Additional requirements called for the design and implementation of a systems process improvement model.

We leveraged our unique understanding and knowledge of the Military Health System (MHS) and DoD Medical Services Information Management /Information Technology (IM/IT) systems to incorporate a systems improvement model. We also piloted and provided proof of concept for an automated medical logistics hub/spoke concept and facilitated a weight-based, point-of-use supply dispensing system at Travis Air Force Base.

Our subject matter expertise empowered AFMRA to improve their clinical efficiency and preserve readiness skills while simultaneously reducing overhead for medical materiel and logistics for the Air Force Medical Service. Our approach and solution delivered the methodology and processes ARMRA needed to establish and sustain industry best practices and manpower standards across their clinical informatics, workforce development, and enterprise IT systems.

AFMRA establishes policies and procedures for providing lifecycle medical materiel management and maintenance for force health protection and health care delivery in worldwide theaters of operation.

AFMRA needed to find proactive ways to improve delivery and reduce costs for the Air Force Medical Service. This necessitated a full analysis of medical logistics operations, including medical equipment management and facility management.

We incorporated a comprehensive systems improvement model to provide leadership with complete visibility of efficiencies and inefficiencies. This included gap analysis, risk migration, research on supply chain management best practices, and testing and piloting a state of the art, automated supply chain initiative (a weight-based POU system). By understanding the unique needs of the DHA and troops, we were able to document and recommend process re-engineering. We applied Lean Six Sigma process mapping across their 13 major processes and more than 130 sub-processes. We utilized multiple data sources (DMLSS, JMAR, and WRM databases) to create a dynamic algorithm and forecast manpower based on workload for the logisticians and biomedical technicians working at DHA. To reinforce and ensure assimilation, we designed and delivered both instructor-lead and online training to educate medical logistics personnel on supply chain management best practices.

By re-engineering the DHA’s supply chain management model, we were able to decrease their manpower needs by 50 FTEs, resulting in a $3.7 million dollar savings across the enterprise.