Welcome, Course Overview and Participant Intros

1. Explain how the Institute is organized to respond to identified learner needs.
2. Recognize opportunities to learn and discuss with other health professionals a broad spectrum of current domestic, international, practice management and leadership issues that influence health care.
3. Recognize fellow federal health executives who will participate in small group work/exercises to promote interactions among representatives of all agencies.

The Veterans Health Administration

1. Report key efforts of the VHA to provide high quality services that are competent, compassionate, cost-effective, and evidence-based to improve the functional status of veterans
2. Explain how the VHA promotes health care delivery to achieve greater satisfaction among veterans

History of the U.S. Military's Role in Medical Advancements

1. Give examples of innovations, treatments, and practices developed to address the unique challenges of warfare and military health.
2. Explain how military-driven advancements underscore the vital role military medicine has played in the evolution of healthcare leading to improved patient care and outcomes globally.

Next Gathering Storm

1. Describe how business and government leaders view trends in an attempt to anticipate and plan for the future.
2. Describe major trends expected to impact an ever-more turbulent world that will impact economies and society as a whole.
3. Explain how geopolitical instability, economic and financial dislocation and deceleration of globalization are going to force leaders to innovate, forge innovative partnerships, and maximize organizational resilience and agility to succeed or at least to persevere.

Leading a DoD Medical Center

1. Describe challenges of operating a successful health care enterprise with attention to patient and staff satisfaction
2. Describe how to approach providing quality health care to meet patient needs in an austere fiscal and staffing environment
3. Explain some basic requirements for re-engaging beneficiaries

Health Policy: The Role of the Courts

1. Describe the role of the judiciary in shaping health policy.
2. Identify key decisions that have shaped the direction of health policy, particularly health policy related to the Affordable Care Act
3. Explain the role of stare decisis when the court faces a legal argument.

Preparing Health Professionals for the Future

1. Explain why innovation and leadership are urgent matters for the medical field
2. Discuss the imperatives of effective leadership to move an organization forward

A Congressional Staff Perspective on Policy Development

1. Describe staff considerations necessary for developing effective health policy.
2. List actions that may be required to make a change in health policies.

Leadership and Multidisciplinary Teamwork in Health Care

1. Examine their skills, knowledge and ability related to leadership
2. Describe leadership, followership, and differentiate types of leaders and followers

Washington Health Policy Update – 2026

1. Assess the potential of proposed health care policy changes to improve the nation’s health care
2. Recognize cost-sharing reforms that could bend the health care cost curve and allow for Medicare to be there for future generations
3. Discuss whether health care financing policies will impede access to care

Stability and Change in Congress: Lessons for Federal Health Leaders

1. Explain the current challenges to congress
2. Evaluate impact of the 2024 election on congress and health care policy
3. Evaluate root causes of congressional polarization & gridlock
4. Explain the conclusions for health care executives

A Shift to Prevention and Wellness – Can We Do It?

1. Delineate examples of the great public health achievements of the last century
2. Summarize lessons learned from the campaign against tobacco and how they can be applied to other public health issues.
3. List components of the health impact pyramid that have the greatest impact on population health.

U.S. National Security Strategy: The Narrative Dimension

1. Highlight how industrial policy plays a key role as a national security instrument

A Framework for Resolving Ethical Dilemmas

1. Recognize that leaders must ensure that the mission is ethical valid to mitigate stress and a breakdown in moral values.
2. Describe medical ethical challenges where guidance might be confusing or not readily accessible in a timely way.
3. Explain how applied ethics is used in clinical medicine and medical research to determine the best and most appropriate actions to be taken.

DoW National Disaster Medical System Pilot Program

1. Describe the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) Pilot Program, including its problem set and goals with relevance to preparedness and surge readiness in the military and civilian healthcare systems.
2. Describe Pilot projects underway that aim to enhance healthcare surge capacity and capability to improve military-civilian interoperability within the NDMS and across the broader U.S. healthcare system.

When We Become They: C-Suite Leadership

1. Describe behaviors that have a positive impact on successful transitioning from senior to strategic leadership
2. Discuss how strategic leadership is different from senior leadership in successful organizations
3. Discuss how to prepare for strategic leadership to assure competency at the strategic level

AI in General; Healthcare Specifically

1. Describe potential security risks that may occur due to common cyber vulnerabilities.
2. List beneficial effects of cybersecurity related to public health.
3. Recount why the healthcare industry is a lucrative target for cybersecurity incidents

Bio-Preparedness and Health Leadership Pearls

1. Describe the process of strengthening the military, national, regional, and global systems so they are able to respond more quickly and effectively to biological threats.
2. Explain how healthcare leaders can most effectively inform and influence policy and resourcing decisions by senior officials
3. Highlight the integral connections between health security, economic security and national security.

Iran’s Perspective

1. Describe the Iranian strategic perspective as a lone and vulnerable in the global environment
2. Recognize that Iran's nuclear program was pushed back and that enrichment was stopped, however, efforts for development continue.

The Transforming Landscape of Aging

1. Analyze options across the continuum of aged care for maintaining a good quality of life
2. Recognize the trajectories associated with extended life spans when planning age-appropriate care
3. Describe how programs designed to help adults optimize health might be integrated into preventive services in health care systems

Maintaining Mental Acuity in Military Operations

1. Describe common risk factors that may be render individuals more prone to suicide.
2. List protective factors that can be supportive in preventing suicide.
3. Discuss the importance of sleep for combat readiness.

Financial Markets and Health Care

1. Describe current monetary policies and their effects on financial markets and economic growth.
2. Summarize the current fiscal situation that has implications for the future.
3. Explain how the financial markets and the health care industry are interconnected in delivery of care.

Leading a Private Healthcare Enterprise

1. Describe challenges of operating a successful health care enterprise within an academic medical institution
2. Describe a private sector approach to providing quality health care to meet patient needs in an austere fiscal environment
3. Explain some basic budgetary requirements for financing hospital and ambulatory care

War and Peace in 2026

1. List current major strategic challenges that the U.S. military needs to address to be successful.
2. Cite the value cybersecurity in U.S. national defense.

The Private Sector Role in Federal Health Care Services

1. Explain the scope and impact of private sector entities providing access and delivering health care to Federal beneficiaries
2. Discuss obstacles and opportunities for greater collaboration among private and public sector entities to provide health care services
3. Describe the Defense Health Agency approach for outsourcing health care services

Warfighters Centered Strategy

1. Recognize and avoid some of the common pitfalls military leaders face when devising strategy.
2. Apply the key elements of Rummel's "kernel" to design strategies that successfully address key warfighter concerns.

Comparative Analysis of the Military Health System and the Veterans Health Administration: Key Insights for Health Care Leaders

1. Differentiate the missions, organizational structures, and patient populations of the Military Health System (MHS) and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
2. Analyze key similarities and differences in funding models, range of benefits and services, and care delivery approaches across both systems.

Evolving Concepts of Person-Centered Care, Patient Experience & Patient Engagement

1. Examine how the definition and measurement of person-centered care, patient satisfaction and patient experience have evolved, re-shaping the roles of patients and families in contemporary care settings.
2. Explore recent models of patient/person-centered approaches to safe, high quality care delivery focused on engagement and activation.
3. Identify fundamental evidence-based structures, policies and practices that promote patient and family engagement and the pandemic impacts shaping future trends.

Keeping the End State in Mind

1. Summarize how the Military Health System will continue to stabilize, modernize and integrate as a single enterprise across the military services

The Defense Health Agency: Delivering Combat Support Every Day

1. Describe how the DHA is structured to provide a ready medical force to serve Combatant Commands
2. Describe how enhanced Multi-Service Market strategies will be exercised to provide effective and efficient healthcare to the enrolled population
3. Explain how DHA is driving greater integration of business and clinical processes to deliver integrated, affordable, and high quality health services to MHS beneficiaries

Lessons Learned from Other Countries

1. Distinguish one aspect of each country's health care systems that would have positive potential if adapted to a U.S. system.

Senior Federal Health Leaders Panel

1. Discuss current issues being addressed by the health executive leadership that effect the Federal workspace
2. Interpret how current reorganization and operational tempo effects service members and their families
3. Report on models being developed for combat injury care when air and sea transport may be severely limited

The Status of Selected Health Professions – Panel

1. Identify factors that affect supply and demand as related to the health care professions
2. Summarize strategies that the health professions can implement to expand their impact on health

Clinical Quality and the Patient Experience in the Military Health System

1. Describe how patient surveys are designed to improve the patient experience.
2. Discuss the preferred measurements of clinical results and risk management to improve quality healthcare and wellness services.
3. Identify the tools and resources available to your organization to evaluate reliable health care

Leadership and Media Relations

1. Report key trends in journalism today that influence the news
2. Discuss how to use social media to the advantage of your health care organization
3. Identify components of successful information and image management while under media scrutiny

Small Group Work and Participant Presentations

1. Prepare a verbal and written response to the small group exercise that represents input/consensus from all group members.
2. Present and defend their view about the task assigned to their group.
3. Critique responses to the small group exercises in relation to personal and professional views on the assigned tasks.