VILSECK, Germany -- Seven projects totaling about $85 million are expected to bolster medical and dental care at military treatment facilities in Bavaria.
A new $37 million dental and primary care health clinic in Katterbach, Germany, and a similar $34.7 million add on to the facility here are two military construction projects that will improve services and enhance amenities for beneficiaries in the Bavaria Medical Department Activity footprint.
"I think the beneficiaries will appreciate the changes over the course of the next few years in these various clinics," said Maj. Travis D. Pamenter, BMEDDAC's acting Deputy Commander for Administration. "We are making a significant investment to improve quality of care."
Projects at both locations will boost primary care, behavioral health services, physical therapy, the pharmacies and other specialty services.
"These improvements coupled with the increase of providers will help facilitate bringing back patients to their local installations that in the recent past had received care in the community," Pamenter said.
The projects will increase the access to primary care, which are the bulk of the patient visits, he said. The projects will also help to centralize services and enhance convenience.
"It's a pretty good location for patients to reach conveniently as part of the Patient Centered Medical Home concept," said Eric Wolff, BMEDDAC's Facility Management Branch chief, about the facility in Katterbach with will transition to a new patient care model.
The facility in Katterbach will be built between the housing area and the installation's new Exchange and commissary, Wolff said.
"We have not only invested structurally, but we've invested technologically as well in order to constantly improve our healthcare delivery," Pamenter said.
New equipment will be added to the buildings, Pamenter said, who has served as the logistical chief for BMEDDAC for the past year. The new structures will have energy efficient qualities that allow natural daylight to illuminate the facilities' workspace and reduce costs on heating and air conditioning.
"We understand what it is like to sit in the waiting room for a period of time and while this may be unavoidable in all instances, we want the patient to be comfortable," Pamenter said. "When you get into these exam offices, what you are going to notice is there are temperature controlled improvements. You will also see improved aesthetics."
Vilseck's dental clinic will have a $7.1 million interior restoration project this winter that will improve its Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning System to provide better temperature control throughout the year.
Hohenfels clinic will complete a $3.2 million renovation project by July 1. The Hohenfels renovation installed a new roof, a sprinkler system and HVAC System.
Illesheim Health Clinic recently completed a $4.9 million renovation project designed to improved services and the patient areas.
Bamberg health and dental clinic received a renovation $184,000 improvement to its reception and waiting areas.
"While it might be minor construction, in this case $184,000, it is trying to improve the overall patient quality and patient experience that our health care facilities have," Pamenter said. "Some people may say those are the things that do not matter in patient care. That is not something we concur with. We want to project the professionalism and not an experience of the stark outdated system of care."
Three Schweinfurt Health Clinic improvements totaled less than $1.5 million for two renovation projects and a HVAC System installed on the fourth floor, he said. The clinic added a minor surgical room, so the staff can do some types of medical procedures under the scope of practice that is allowed.
The construction project here is scheduled to begin this fall. The parking lot of the facility will be extended onto the tennis courts, which will be relocated near the library.
The project in Katterbach is scheduled to being next spring and will take two years to complete.
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