SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HI – The Desmond T. Doss Health Clinic recently celebrated the unveiling of its Urgent Care Center. DDHC now houses the only Urgent Care Association-accredited Urgent Care Center within the Department of Defense. Earning accreditation took nearly two years and involved comprehensive inspections, multiple process improvement projects, strict adherence to standards established by the Urgent Care Association, and most importantly, teamwork.
“This was absolutely a team effort,” explains Maj. Keith Barry Garcia, Officer in Charge of the Urgent Care Center. “It took almost two years from the time we began pursuing our accreditation to now, and we would not have been successful if it wasn’t for the amazing staff and supportive leadership here at Desmond T. Doss Health Clinic.”
Achieving UCA accreditation is no small feat, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was amazing to watch this clinic continue to pursue accreditation, which included countless policy reviews, workflow edits, re-alignment of operations, and collection of supporting documents, all while still seeing patients during a pandemic,” describes Ms. Lou Ellen Horwitz, Chief Executive Officer of the Urgent Care Association. “This is an incredible accomplishment and signifies DDHC’s commitment to their patients.”
Currently, there is no accreditation requirement for Urgent Care Clinics, though achieving accreditation status offers many benefits both to the clinic itself and to its patients.
“Becoming an Urgent Care Center, as opposed to an Acute Care Clinic, reassures our patients of the quality care we are committed to providing them here at DDHC,” notes Col. Anthony King, Commander of Desmond T. Doss Health Clinic. “Our beneficiaries include service members, foreign military members, military families, and retired military members, and we want them to be confident in the quality care they receive at our facility. Not only does this accreditation ensure we adhere to the highest standards of care as an Urgent Care Center, but it also enables a better understanding of the services we offer for our patients.”
The Urgent Care Center does not provide emergency medical services. It is ideal for handling urgent medical needs such as minor injuries or illnesses, sore throats and coughs, skin conditions, as well as cuts and burns. For injuries threatening life, limb or eyesight; including chest pains difficulty breathing, uncontrolled bleeding, or pregnancy-related illnesses and injuries; patients should dial 911 or seek immediate care at the nearest Emergency Department.
The Urgent Care Center is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and is only closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day.
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