Senate Confirms Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs

The Senate last week confirmed Thomas McCaffery as Assistant Secretary of Defense for health affairs. The confirmation comes as the military health system continues substantial modernization efforts including rolling out a new electronic health records system which is expected to be completed by 2023. McCaffery is the first permanent appointee to the position in over three years after serving as principle deputy assistant secretary for health affairs, and serving as the primary advisor to the Secretary of Defense on health care. He is expected to be sworn in later this month.