SAN DIEGO (Sept. 14, 2023) Dr. Lester Martinez-Lopez, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, engages with hospital staff during an All Hands Call at Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD), Sept. 14, 2023. The resounding message from Martinez-Lopez during the All Hands Call was an appreciation for the commitment and hard work of the San Diego Market, a reaffirmation that we will continue to offer premier health care to our beneficiaries, and issued an inflection point of how the San Diego Market is part of the broader Military Health System. NMCSD’s mission is to prepare service members to deploy in support of operational forces, deliver high quality healthcare services and shape the future of military medicine through education, training and research. NMCSD employs more than 6,000 active duty military personnel, civilians and contractors in Southern California to provide patients with world-class care anytime, anywhere. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jacob Woitzel)