FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. -- The Raymond W. Bliss Army Health Center (RWBAHC) Soldier Care Clinic (SCC) relocated Wednesday, May 1, from its previous location on the corner of Winans Ave. and Hatfield St. to the RWBAHC main campus on Winrow Ave. This move had been discussed as a possibility for several years, however, the plan for the move to be accomplished in May 2019 wasn't developed until January 2019.

The Deputy Commander for Nursing, Lt. Col. Devin Y Cazares, said, "There were several things that went into consolidating the soldier care clinic. Probably one of the biggest reasons is that we often go through times of provider shortages. One of the things we thought we could do is cross coverage for our staff and provide a little better access to care."

Cazares said that increasing the number of available registered nurses (RNs) increases the overall clinical support capabilities. "So, when we go through provider shortages, that RNs can field the telephone consults and Secure Messaging from the patients when they can't get an appointment in to see their provider within a few days."

"Another reason [for the move] was, it helps facilitate convenience for our patients. The lab, the pharmacy and the X-ray departments are located up here, as well as hearing. So, consolidating into one facility, all of the ancillary services that [the patients] need access to, are co-located in this place," Cazares said.

"And the third [reason] is saving money."

The clinics hopes that saving money now may lead to the ability to provide more services in years to come.

Cazares said, "We are looking to increase customer satisfaction, increase access to care and decrease costs associated with running an additional external facility."