FORT SILL, Okla. (Feb. 9, 2017) -- Feb. 3 marked the grand opening of the Health Readiness Center at Reynolds Army Health Clinic (RAHC).
The Health Readiness Center (HRC) is the beginning of a four-phase operation that will offer flexibility to Soldiers and their family members to maintain their health and readiness.
Leaders from across Fort Sill, to include Maj. Gen. Brian McKiernan, Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill commanding general, were on hand to tour the new facility.
Also in attendance was Maj. Gen. Thomas Tempel Jr., Regional Health Command Central commanding general, who participated in the ribbon cutting with McKiernan and Col. Kenneth Lemons, RAHC commander.
"Readiness is our number one priority in line with the guidance from the chief of staff of the Army," said Lemons. "All Soldiers are required to have a yearly periodic health assessment or PHA. In the past the Soldier would have to come to see their doctor and more or less get that block checked."
The colonel said there was no system in place to ensure the health of Soldiers throughout the year to ensure they stay within healthy standards to meet deployment obligations.
"Now, with our Health Readiness Center, we have the systems in place throughout the PHA process to identify risk factors and prevent health issues that would make that Soldier non-mission capable down the road and ensure the maximum capability of our fighting force," he said.
Before the HRC, all the services available for health and readiness support were in multiple locations across Fort Sill or Reynolds.
"The first phase of the HRC, which we have opened this week, consolidates nutrition care, tobacco cessation, our (sexually transmitted disease) STD public health nurse, and the wellness center all within the HRC," said Maj. Deepa Hariprasad, HRC chief.
Additional services for Soldiers and their family members will be added as the HRC expands in the next 18 months.
"Our women's health clinic will be part of the second phase and has plans to include a lactation annex for nursing mothers, a (Women, Infants and Children) WIC office, and the pregnancy and postpartum program coordinator," said Hariprasad.
Phase three will consolidate behavioral health services on the third floor of the Reynolds health center.
Phase four will move dental services to the second floor of RAHC and should be finished by October 2018.
"Our goal for the Health Readiness Center is to move away from the "find-and-fix" model of health care where a Soldier only comes to see us when something is wrong," said Lemons. "We want to predict, prevent and personalize the health care we provide to keep our Soldiers deployable, and improving the health and welfare of our families."
All services at the readiness center are also open to military retirees. Department of the Army civilians are welcome to use the services of the wellness center and tobacco cessation office.
The HRC is open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Walk-ins are available from 8-11 a.m.
To make an appointment or to find out more information, call the HRC at 580-558-8467.
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