Today's Focus:
Access to Care Campaign
SENIOR LEADERS ARE SAYING
"I have directed all of our medical treatment facility commanders to make access to care one of their top priorities. Our goal is to have the right provider providing care at the right time, using the right venue."
- Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker, the surgeon general and commanding general, U.S. Army Medical Command
Surgeon General emphasizes access to care
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
Year of the Noncommissioned Officer
"We need to always give 110 percent if we really want to succeed. Don't be a follower but a leader. Project your voice and don't be scared; there is no such thing as a dumb question or answer. Nobody is perfect and we all learn from our mistakes and experiences."
- Staff Sgt. Rosy Cueva, an information technology specialist, with Network Enterprise Technology Command/9th Signal Command (Army) is soon leaving her job in the unit's G-3 training division to join the U.S. Army Signal School as a platoon sergeant for AIT students
NETCOM Soldier's long road leads her down path to success
CALENDAR
2009 Commemorations :
Year of the NCO
Year of the Military Family
100th Anniversary of the Chaplain Assistant
November 2009
Military Family Appreciation Month
National Native American Month
Warrior Care Month
Veteran's Day Week
Nov. 11: Veteran's Day
Nov. 26: Thanksgiving Day
TODAY'S FOCUS
Access to Care Campaign
What is it?
The medical care provided at Army hospitals and clinics is regarded as one of the best in the world. However, at some Army military treatment facilities (MTFs) the demand for primary care exceeds the supply of available providers-especially when many providers are deployed to support an Army at war. To keep customers satisfied and meet the needs of the Army, MEDCOM initiated an Access to Care Campaign to improve access to care for Soldiers and family members at all Army MTFs.
What has the Army done?
Recognizing access to primary care as a problem, MEDCOM is working to hire more providers, examining TRICARE prime enrollments to ensure MTFs do not enroll more beneficiaries than they can care for within access standards and educating MTF staffs and beneficiaries about access standards and policies. The DOD access standards are 24 hours for acute care, 7 days for routine and 28 days for specialty or wellness care. In locations where MTFs are not able to meet these standards, the MEDCOM encourages beneficiaries to use our network of TRICARE civilian providers.
What continued efforts does the Army have planned for the future?
A key element is education to ensure beneficiaries understand how to obtain access. We are standardizing our MTF homepages to highlight information that explains enrollment options available at Army MTFs. We also are exploring ways to reduce beneficiaries' frustration at key points of access by making appointments available by phone. The goals are to have 90 percent of appointment calls answered within 90 seconds and follow-up visits scheduled during the patient's initial appointment or through an automated scheduling list.
Why is the Access to Care important to the Army?
Army families live everywhere. The MEDCOM recognizes access to primary care is a problem at some Army MTFs and is working hard to eliminate these obstacles to provide Soldiers and family members the right care, at the right time with the right provider, in the right venue.
Resources:
U.S. Army Medical Command
STAND-TO! NEWS
ABOUT THE ARMY
- First lady Michelle Obama honors Fort Hood troops in Veterans Day speech (Chicago Tribune)
- Grieving has no time limit; help available for all affected by tragedy (The U.S. Army)
- Scarred, Fort Hood survivors move on (New York Times)
- Hasan charged with 13 counts of murder (The Washington Post)
- Aviators have unique way of saying 'thanks' (The U.S. Army)
- Save a life: Drinking and driving simulator tour begins in Europe (The U.S. Army)
- Soldiers earn $6,000 for spotless barracks (The U.S. Army)
OVERSEAS OPERATIONS
- Obama: No public support, no troops (Arizona Republic)
- Gates condemns leaks on U.S. Afghan policy and Ft. Hood (The New York Times)
- U.S. mulls combining war plans (Wall Street Journal)
- A nuclear power's act of proliferation (The Washington Post)
- Rebuilding its economy, Iraq shuns U.S. businesses (The New York Times)
- In Afghanistan, bomber strikes near key U.S. base (Los Angeles Times)
OF INTEREST
- Defense secretary praises Oshkosh (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Battlefield success depends on technology development (DefenseLink)
- Gates sets up new counter-IED task force (Army Times)
- Gates to lead 6-month push against roadside bombs (Seattle Times)
- Shinseki measures scope of veterans' mental issues (NPR)
- Improvements to new GI Bill proposed (KOLD)
- New chewing gum may help soldiers fight 'trench mouth' (McClatchy Newspapers)
WORLD VIEW
- Petraeus urges NATO Afghan boost (Al Jazeera)
- 'Battle of the bulge' begins as U.S. troops stand easy (London Times)
- Gordon Brown pushes for more nations to share Afghan burden (London Daily Telegraph)
- Afghanistan: British plan Taliban reconciliation (London Daily Telegraph)
- Israel wants production role in F-35 fighter (Jerusalem Post)
- At least 10 die in suicide truck bombing of Pakistan spy agency (The Guardian)
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SOCIAL NETWORKING