It's all in the name. Recognizing that a name can best reflect the qualities of a place or object, the Lawrence Joel Army Health Clinic (LJAHC) on Fort McPherson will be changing its name to better describe itself and its role in the months leading to the closure of the installation.
On Oct. 1, during a 9 a.m. ceremony on its front entrance lawn, the LJAHC will officially transition from an Army health clinic to the Lawrence Joel Troop Medical Clinic.
Just as the name implies, the clinic will begin drawing down the pool of people serviced by the medical treatment facility (MTF), said Col. Cheryl Taylor-Whitehead, LJAHC commander.
Services will focus more on troops and their Families, with other patients - such as retirees - being transferred to other providers covered in the TRICARE network, said Maj. Joseph Edger, deputy commander, LJAHC administration office.
Still, some services will still be offered to retirees, although on a more-limited basis, Taylor-Whitehead said. Optometry services will still be offered on a space-available option, and pharmacy benefits will be extended to retirees through March 31, 2011.
"We didn't have to extend the benefits, but since we had the staff, we did," Taylor-Whitehead said. Staffing was a major component in determining how the clinic would function over the rest of its life.
In moving forward with BRAC, the clinic staff started by working its way back from the clinic's closing date of July 15, 2011, said Taylor-Whitehead.
Factoring in the attrition of personnel, Taylor-Whitehead and her staff came up with a plan to draw down services, yet still provide care for the estimated 3,432 Soldiers and their Families who will remain until transferred to another duty location.
Although the drawdown will take place over the course of less than a year, Edger said the staff has been working diligently on the plan to support the community since early 2006.
Relying on both staff knowledge and guidance provided by the Medical Services Action Plan - which covers all medical facilities affected by BRAC - the staff has created a timetable documenting major changes to care provided, as well as estimates on how many people will still need to rely on the clinic, Edger said.
"We want to maintain the continuity of care," said Taylor-Whitehead, adding care will still be provided at a high level of quality, just more consolidated within the LJAHC. For example, Thursday, the refill pharmacy (Bldg. 366) will close, its duties being picked up by the main pharmacy in LJAHC. Later, the two internal clinics, the Force Readiness Clinic and Primary Care Clinics, will consolidate into one.
Combining such services lessens the logistics of clinic operations and allows the MTF to turn in satellite buildings, Taylor-Whitehead said.
The slow merger also allows the clinic to let its staff work out new employment opportunities, she added.
Currently, staffing is maintained due to incentives offered to Civilian employees who stayed and the stabilization of Soldiers at the clinic through closure, Taylor-Whitehead said.
The upcoming closure will bring an end to a clinic that has served the Army for more than a century. The original hospital, built in 1867, contained 48 beds. In December 1917, the hospital became General Hospital Number 6, which at its peak, had a 2,400 bed capacity.
Since then, the facility has served to take care of troops in all wars up to present day conflicts. For this reason, Frances Oliver Howard, health systems specialist, said people should make every effort to attend the re-designation ceremony Oct. 1. "It's a very important event historically.
It's a historic change, not just for us, but for all the people who utilized our services," she said.
In keeping with the historical nature of the event, after the ribbon cutting ceremony and casing of the colors, the public is invited to view some of the history of the clinic, Howard said.
Several displays will be set up in the clinic lobby, documenting the history of the clinic, its commanders, the history of the Army Medical Department, and of Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. 1st Class Lawrence Joel, for whom the clinic was named in 1998. The Joel Family is scheduled to attend the event.
"We want to make this a community affair as much as possible," Taylor-Whitehead said. "We invite everyone to fellowship."
Due to the ceremony, the clinic will be closed all day Oct. 1.
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