WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Wednesday directed military medical officials to show within 45 days how they will improve care, patient safety and access to treatment at underachieving military health care facilities.

Hagel released findings of a 90-day review of the entire military health care system, which serves 9.6 million active-duty troops and their family members, as well as retirees. He also directed military medical officials to write a detailed plan by the end of the year to fix and track uneven performance across the military health system of 56 hospitals, 361 clinics and 249 dental clinics in the U.S. and around the world.