FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
For the past two years, access to care has been a topic of interest at military bases across the country. Early in his role as Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and his wife, Sheila, conducted town hall meetings with Soldiers and their families to receive feedback and to better understand the issues post-Sept. 11, 2001.
One of the most frequently voiced concerns with health care was the inability of patients to access care with their primary care providers in military hospitals and health centers.
Recognizing the importance of the issue, the Army Medical Department established criteria for accessing care, designated resources and established an evaluation system to ensure progress.
McDonald Army Health Center has made incremental progress in achieving access to care objectives in the past four months and continues to move forward with additional changes. Over the next 12 months, the staff at MCAHC will execute a plan to increase access in Primary Care Clinics for active-duty Soldiers, family members and retirees. The first clinic to see these enhancements will be the Pediatric Clinic, followed by the Troop Medical Clinics, Internal Medicine Clinic and Family Health Clinic.
"Our goal is to have the right provider, providing care at the right time, using the right venue that's best for the Soldier and their families by making primary care services easier to obtain, " said Col. Karen Gausman, MCAHC commander. "This new concept will increase access to care, prioritize access to [the] primary care manager, and simplify the referral process."
It has long been the goal of the health center to provide high quality pediatric care for its many beneficiaries. Due to space constraints, the facility was previously only able to enroll a portion of the pediatric population. With this new initiative, MCAHC has moved forward with doubling the pediatric space and hiring additional support staff. Beginning in October, there will be eight pediatricians and one pediatric nurse practitioner providing care in an expanded Pediatric Clinic. Enhancements will provide the opportunity to enroll additional pediatric patients to teams for care, offering continuity and better access; extended hours of service; make new equipment and technology available to the pediatric staff; and transform the appearance of the Pediatric Clinic to make it more appealing to children.
"This initiative will improve access to pediatric care, reducing reliance on emergency rooms at medical treatment or network facilities for routine health care needs," said Gausman.
Information will be available, keeping beneficiaries informed as we move forward with this initiative. MCAHC continues to embrace Soldiers, families and retirees in providing quality care.