Initiatives
Data Strategy
The DHA Data Strategy establishes a unified approach to managing, governing, and leveraging data across the Military Health System to improve readiness, health outcomes, and operational efficiency.
DHA maintains over 80 data systems, creating challenges related to data quality, accessibility, and standardization. The DHA Data Strategy guides better data, tools, and outcomes through improved governance, modernized practices, and a digitally competent workforce.
- Mission Readiness First: Data initiatives must directly enable combat support, health care delivery, and operational efficiency – ensuring a clear and measurable return on investment.
- Federated Governance: Implement centralized standards and policies while allowing decentralized execution of data assets by empowering domain teams.
- Collective Data Stewardship: Every Team Member is Accountable for the value, quality, protection, and responsible use of enterprise data.
- Data as a Product: Treat data products like shared enterprise software assets, subject to rigorous management, versioning, governance, and performance measurement with clear product ownership and accountability.
- Trust Through Designated Sources: Data trust is crucial and must be anchored in the use of Authoritative Data Sources, verifiable lineage, auditability, and clear transparency.
- Metadata is the Foundation: Metadata must be actively governed, validated, and published alongside data movement or consumption to ensure its discoverability and contextual relevance.
- Security and Privacy by Design: All data products must integrate security, access control, compliance by design, and PHI/PII protection mechanisms from the initial design phase.
The DHA Data Strategy has five key lines of effort:
- Strengthen data roles and responsibilities
- Maximize use of authoritative data sources
- Operationalize data as a product
- Build trust through data quality and transparency
- Maintain an enterprise data catalog
Artificial Intelligence
Accelerating the Adoption of Artificial Intelligence
In alignment with federal directives to accelerate AI adoption, the CDAO is committed to advancing DHA's use of emerging AI resources across the enterprise, with the goal of enhancing operational capabilities, streamlining workflows, and driving innovation. We coordinate with the DOW CDAO and other federal partners to advance AI initiatives, governance, policies, and procedures to ensure alignment.
Data and AI Literacy
Strengthen data and artificial intelligence skills across the DHA Workforce
The DHA Data and AI Literacy initiative will provide trainings and education to advance the knowledge and skills needed to effectively and responsibly use data and AI across the MHS. These resources are available on our Intranet page (CAC required - search CDAO).
Our Leadership
Jesus Caban, Ph.D.
CHIEF DATA AND ANALYTICS OFFICER
Jesus J. Caban, PhD, serves as the Chief Data and Analytics Officer for the Defense Health Agency. In this role, Dr. Caban is the principal advisor to the DHA Deputy Director on all matters related to data governance, analytics, and artificial intelligence. He is responsible for leading the implementation of a comprehensive data strategy for DHA, which includes establishing safeguards, controls, and guidelines for the responsible use of AI aligned with the DOW Data and AI strategies.
"Our goal is to rapidly transform the vast amounts of data we manage into actionable insights. This decision advantage is critical to supporting the services, combatant commands, and sustaining warfighter readiness at a moment's notice."
