FORT SILL, Okla. -- Reynolds Army Community Hospital will transition its emergency department to an urgent care service July 1.
This change is because of the low volume of life, limb or eyesight-related medical emergencies that are seen at the hospital. In fiscal 2013, 99 percent of the care provided by RACH's emergency room was not of an emergency nature, in other words, care that could have been provided by urgent care services.
Transition from emergency room services to urgent care is expected to be seamless, with decrease wait times and improve patient satisfaction.
Be assured this conversion will in no way hinder the excellent health care patients are accustomed to receiving at Reynolds. Our emphasis on patient-centered care, and the consideration we have for our beneficiaries' well being, will not change.
Urgent care will be available to beneficiaries 24/7. Acute care needs will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Urgent care is the providing of immediate medical service offering outpatient care for treatment of minor illnesses and injuries, such as flu, fever, earaches, nausea, rashes, animal and insect bites, minor bone fractures and minor cuts that require stitches. It does not replace your primary care provider. Urgent care services are a convenient option when appointments aren't available or when illness strikes outside of regular office hours. Also, it offers an alternative to waiting for hours in a hospital emergency room.
The ambulance service at RACH will remain. If emergency cases arrive at the hospital, those patients will be transferred via ambulance to one of the local emergency rooms. As always, anyone who believes they have an emergency situation should report to the nearest emergency room or call 911. Some conditions that require emergency care include signs of heart attack or stroke, severe pain, and profuse bleeding. Comanche County Memorial Hospital and Southwestern Medical Center are the two emergency room hospitals in the Lawton-Fort Sill community.
The best avenue for patients is to first see their primary care provider. Preventive care is the key to keep some conditions from getting worse; patients should see their primary care provider as scheduled or as needed. Patients can request appointments, renew prescriptions, ask nonurgent questions and receive lab results when using the Secure Messaging (Relay Health) System.
Here are ways to access primary care:
Use TRICARE Online at www.tricareonline.com to make appointments 24/7 from any computer.
Sign up for Secure Messaging and email your health care team for assistance. Talk to your primary care provider or care nurse on how to sign up for this service.
Call central appointments at 580-558-2000 and speak with a medical support assistant.
Call the Nurse Care Advice Line at 800-874-2273, Option 1.
Our focus and priority remains providing high quality and safe health care. If you have questions regarding the ER transition to Urgent Care, ask to see your team's office manager.
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