DoD Announces Two New Health Program Leaders

Dr. Sue Bailey was sworn in June 17 as assistant secretary ofdefense for health affairs. One week earlier, Dr. H. James T. Sears becameexecutive director of the TRICARE Management Activity.

Bailey, who served previously in the Pentagon as a deputy assistant secretary of defense, assumed control of DoD's two-fold medical mission: military readiness and peacetime health care. The readiness ensuresservice members engaged in military operations receive the health careand protection they need to perform their mission. Peacetime health careincludes continuous and preventive health care to service members, theirfamily members and survivors, military retirees and their families, andall others entitled to DoD health care.

Bailey holds degrees from the University of Maryland and thePhiladelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She served her internshipand residency at George Washington University Hospital from 1977-1980 andcompleted a fellowship at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in 1981.She also served as a medical officer in the Naval Reserve.

As the TRICARE Management Activity's first executive director,Sears will oversee programs aimed at enhancing implementation of the DoDhealth care plan and ensuring the availability of high-quality, affordablehealth care to DoD beneficiaries worldwide. Cohen directed creation of theactivity in February as part of the Defense Reform Initiative.

A retired Navy admiral, Sears has more than 30 years' experiencein a variety of health care-related activities. He most recently servedas director of medical management and operations for the TRICARE divisionof Aetna Health Plans, one of DoD's first managed-care support contractors.He was also the Navy's deputy surgeon general and commanded the NavalMedical Command in Washington.

He holds degrees from Wesleyan University and the Albany MedicalCollege of Union University and certifications from the American Board ofPsychiatry and Neurology and National Board of Medical Examiners.