With the relocation of Third Army/U.S. Army Central to Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., right around the corner, questions have arisen about healthcare services. Servicemembers and Family members may wonder what services to expect and where they should go to receive healthcare service once they arrive at Shaw Air Force Base.
Third Army surgeon Lt. Col. Jeff Mosso is the lead medical planner for Base Realignment and Closure and is assisting with the transition of healthcare services from Fort McPherson to Shaw Air Force Base.
Echoing the command's commitment to providing quality healthcare for the Soldiers and Families of Third Army, Mosso said he is working hand in hand with the Shaw community to ensure that the transition of medical services is seamless.
He said Third Army, in coordination with the U.S. Army Medical Command, U.S. Dental Command and U.S. Veterinarian Command, is putting forth unwavering efforts to ensure the appropriate agreements, procedures and processes are in place at Shaw Air Force Base.
"As servicemembers and their Families relocate to Shaw Air Force Base, healthcare services will fundamentally remain unchanged from what they have been accustomed to," said Mosso. "Service-members and their dependents will continue to receive healthcare equal to, if not greater than, the service they received at the Lawrence Joel Army Health Clinic and throughout Atlanta."
Servicemembers and eligible dependents will be qualified to receive healthcare services through the 20th Medical Group and local TRICARE network providers in the Sumter, S.C., community.
The 20th Medical Group has the capacity to serve the majority of Third Army's needs, but not unlike Fort McPherson, users can expect some Third Army personnel and Family members to be outsourced to the local TRICARE network. The availability of primary care managers in the Shaw Air Force Base area can be found at www.humana-military.com/south/bene/tools-resources/BeneSiteProvLoc.asp.
Shaw Air Force Base and the 20th Medical Group staff will provide an assortment of medical and dental services, which include Family practice, pediatric care, limited gynecological services, immunizations, general dentistry, physical therapy, optometry, substance abuse counseling and more, said Mosso. Other services will be provided through TRICARE.
Although the Shaw Air Force Base staff will provide basic dental services to servicemembers, Family members eligible through the TRICARE dental program will be outsourced to other dentistry offices in the area.
As Fort McPherson moves forward in its preparation to close its gates, the LJHAC will also begin to scale back services.
The LJAHC stopped accepting new enrollments for Family members Nov. 16. Family members already enrolled at the JLAHC will continue to receive support until Oct. 1, 2010, when the clinic will become a troop medical clinic for active duty servicemembers only. Family members will be referred through the Atlanta-area TRICARE network of providers.
The TMC is scheduled to close July 15, 2011. Soldiers who remain after the closure will be referred out to the TRICARE network with additional deployment or readiness assistance available at Fort Gordon and Fort Benning.
Once Fort McPherson closes its doors in 2011, the TRICARE service office will relocate to another location in the Atlanta metro area and continue to service the needs of the servicemembers and the military retiree population who remain in the Atlanta area.
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