366th Medical Group to face personnel shortages

Published June 10, 2008
By Airman 1st Class Samantha S. Crane
366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office

MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- In the coming months, the 366th Medical Group will face significant personnel shortages due to duty station changes, separations and deployments.

"This will have an impact on the hospital's ability to provide the same level of care to our patient population," said Col. Jerrold N. Flyer, 366th MDG commander.

Upcoming deployments will take one-third of primary care providers, one-half of mental health providers and more than half of the flight medicine staff along with one pharmacist. Also, the medical technician manning will be at 50 percent.

"Since we must keep our in-patient unit and Urgent Care Center fully manned on a 24-hour basis, this has forced us to leave most clinics with little or no technician manning," said Colonel Flyer.

Technicians from the surgical flight, public health, bioenvironmental engineering, and the laboratory will also be among those deploying.

"Bottom line is that our access, which has never been optimal, will be even tighter," said Colonel Flyer.

Due to physician shortages, back-up physicians will not be called into the UCC when wait times exceed two hours. While full obstetrical capabilities will be maintained, certain clinics may refer patients to outside sources when they are not able to fulfill their needs.

"We may ask patients who live outside of Mountain Home to consider utilizing local UCCs for acute problems," said Colonel Flyer. "As always, if you have a true emergency, please go directly to the nearest emergency room."

While some personnel have already deployed, others will continue to head out between June and September.

"We anticipate the most critical shortages in the September through December timeframe with improvement starting in late December and continuing through January 2009," said Colonel Flyer.

While the 366th MDG has already taken a number of steps to ease the situation, they continue to look for more ways to improve patient care.

"We are seeking GWOT contracts for backfill physicians in family practice and mental health as well as medical assistants and LPNs, although the timeline for the filling of these positions can be lengthy," said Colonel Flyer. "We are also looking into reservist availability as well as providing inpatient and urgent care training opportunities to other Air Combat Command clinics that do not maintain these services."

Adjustments to clinic schedules may be made to maximize appointment availability, and executive staff will take a more active role in clinic activities to provide either direct patient care or assist with administrative duties.

Patients calling for appointments may encounter long waits, but TRICARE online gives patients the option to book appointments, refill prescriptions and access their personal health record online at anytime.

"TOL provides beneficiaries with the ability to book appointments at their convenience -- be it the night before, over the weekend, or on a holiday -- that fits their schedule," said 1st Lt. Scott Cook, 366th Medical Support Squadron TRICARE operations and patient administration flight commander.

Patients can access their primary care manager's specific schedule and make routine appointments anytime, while the appointment line is only open during hospital duty hours.

"TOL even allows beneficiaries the ability to book appointments with other PCM's in the event that their PCM is booked for the specific day and time they desire," said Lieutenant Cook.

To begin using TOL, visit www.tricareonline.com.

For pharmacy patients who don't regularly come to base or live outside the local area, the mail-order pharmacy is the most cost-effective option. Patients may receive up to a 90-day supply for most medications. After registering, refills may be requested my mail, phone, fax or online.

While there's no charge for standard shipping, patients can request express shipping for an additional charge.

According to www.tricare.mil, "if you're taking multiple medications on a regular basis, the mail-order pharmacy tracks your medications' prescription strength, dosage and potential interactions against your medication profile. Additionally, your prescription is checked by two pharmacists before it's delivered."

This option does not include short-term prescriptions.

"This is the best option for people who don't come to base regularly or only need to come to get prescriptions filled, especially with the cost of gas," said Capt. Rebekah Mooney, 366th MDSS officer in charge of pharmacy services.

To convert current prescriptions to the mail-order option, visit http://member.express-scripts.com/dodCustom/welcome.do, call toll-free at 1-877-363-1433 or visit the pharmacy for a mail-in application.

"The 366th MDG is committed to providing the absolute best medical care in a timely manner to the most deserving patients in the world -- you and your families," said Colonel Flyer. "Working together we can ensure that this continues to happen while our medics are downrange fighting the global war on terror."

366th Medical Group to face personnel shortages

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