Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. -The Office of the Surgeon General established the Surgical Services Service Line to standardize surgical care across Army Medicine. The intent behind 3SL is to save money, implement technological advancements and streamline access to care within the surgical department.

Access to care is important to both the patient and the doctor. Being able to get in for surgery at the right time is critical to maintaining a fighting force. Before someone can have surgery they must have a referral from their primary care doctor to a specialty doctor.

Some small military treatment facilities, such as General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital, only have one doctor who specializes in a certain area. This is where the 3SL comes into play. It's important for patients to understand how the surgical process works and why they may have to wait before surgery is scheduled.

Take for example someone who needs their tonsils removed. The process begins with an appointment with their primary care doctor, who refers them to the Ear, Nose and Throat doctor. The ENT doctor determines if there is a surgical need and the surgery is scheduled.

Holly Bradford, General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital's Deputy Program Managing Director for 3SL, is responsible for ensuring the operation rooms are running efficiently. She looks at the outpatient work load in the clinics and access to care in both the clinics and the operating room.

"I look at the space between 7:30 and 3:30 to ensure the OR is running efficiently, the turn over time between surgeries as well as the safety piece," said Bradford.

Bradford also tracks the number and type of surgeries performed in the OR. Orthopedics, general surgery and GYN make up the majority of surgical cases at GLWACH. As of right now all scopes are completed in the OR but this will change over the next few months.

The current OR is the original one from 1963. Renovations are taking place throughout the hospital to include general surgery, the 2nd floor and the basement. Once renovations are complete, surgical patients will check in on the 2nd floor, be assigned a bay and start and finish the surgical process on the same floor. The family waiting room will also be moved from the 3rd to the 2nd floor making it easier for the doctors to update the family as needed.

"We're doing our part to be patient's choice for healthcare. We provide safe, quality healthcare and surgical services," said Bradford.

GLWACH may be a smaller facility but the quality of care is comparable to the care you would get at a larger MTF.