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Navy Hospital Converting ER To Urgent Care; Veterans Not Eligible
May 20, 2014
On June 1, the Emergency Room at Naval Hospital Pensacola will be converted into an Urgent Care Center that will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The UCC will be available to all TRICARE beneficiaries to include TRICARE Prime enrolled at the hospital, TRICARE Prime Network, TRICARE Standard and TRICARE For Life. Veterans enrolled in the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System have not been authorized by the VA to use NHP’s UCC and should contact their VA healthcare team for their urgent care needs.
Eligible beneficiaries will be able to visit the UCC for acute care symptoms such as minor lacerations and injuries, fevers, sore throats and cough. Beneficiaries enrolled with a Medical Home Port Team at NHP or one of its local branch clinics are highly encouraged to contact their Medical Home Port Team before visiting the UCC.
“The Medical Home Port Teams know their patients best because they see them on a regular basis,” said Capt. Maureen Padden, commanding officer, NHP. “Having continuity of care with the same team of healthcare professionals is a huge benefit to our patients enrolled here because there is a relationship established between the team and patient, which leads to trust and better overall care. Our beneficiaries now have better access to care through their Medical Home Port Teams than ever. We offer same day appointments and a team of healthcare professionals dedicated to the care of our patients.”
After June 1, emergency services at NHP will no longer be available. Tricare beneficiaries in need of emergency services should visit one of the local ERs or call 911. Examples of types of emergencies that should be seen at an ER include chest pains, stroke-like symptoms, difficulty breathing or head traumas. Beneficiaries also have the option of calling the Nurse Advice Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-TRICARE, option 1. The Nurse Advice Line offers professional healthcare advice and can assist beneficiaries with deciding if they should visit an ER, the UCC or schedule an appointment with their provider.
“You should always err on the side of caution,” said Padden. “If you believe you are having a true emergency, then call 911 or visit an Emergency Room.”
The decision to convert the ER into a UCC was based on Navy Medicine’s efforts to align resources to best meet the operational needs of the Navy, reduce healthcare costs and streamline its resources to provide the best care possible to beneficiaries. The hospital currently sees approximately 50 patients a day in the ER, which is relatively low when compared to the local civilian ERs that can see approximately 200 patients a day.
“A significant portion of the patients currently seen in our ER will be able to be seen in our Urgent Care Center when it opens,” said Padden. “The small number of true emergencies seen at our ER will now be referred to the civilian ERs, with whom we have excellent relationships. We are very fortunate as a naval hospital to be able to provide healthcare to those that have served our country and their families. We will continue to provide the exceptional care that our beneficiaries deserve and expect from us.”
Story by Jason Bortz, and photos by Petty Officer 1st Class James Stenberg for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
11 Responses to “Navy Hospital Converting ER To Urgent Care; Veterans Not Eligible”
So you can continue to blame Obama if you want, but that just means your uninformed.
Senate Republicans on Thursday (2/27/14) derailed a sweeping $21 billion bill that would have expanded medical, educational and other benefits for veterans.
You go Old Salt! I am the daughter of 2 military veterans and a military sibling and brother – in – law. It is disgraceful what is being done to the vets now.
What has gotten this country in the financial mess we are in is giving money to all the other countries who could care less about America and the wars that we have been fighting for over 20 years. War cost MONEY!!!!. If they had put all this money into America we wouldn’t be in this mess. Both Republicans and Democrats are to blame. When FEMA gives money away they have to get it from other places. When you are getting the handouts you don’t care where they are getting the money from you just want yours. If all the tax breaks for big business went away we might be able to support our vets.
Rufus, here’s a U.S. Government lesson for you since you’re not up to speed on current events in the Fed. The President has been given, by the Congress, blank check after blank check to spend as the executive deems necessary, which includes continuous debt ceiling increases that’ll doom this country in our future. Obama is the Commander in Chief of the armed forces and through his puppet, the department of defense secretary, he can order changes to every branch of the military without congressional oversight. By the way, Congress has relinquished its “power of the purse” as evidenced by its lack of fiscal control to executive branch demands; continued kowtowing to the financial direction of the white house is all the evidence necessary for the common folk to understand… Want to try again?
Enlisted in 69, when it wasnt cool. Boot camp at PI. iTR at camp geiger, camp pendleton then nam. Malaria, too much combat, bad hearing from being too close to bang bang. Dont expect or want anything. Just glad to get home, great family and good life. Thanks America.
You’d better talk to the people that appropriate the money and decide where it gets spent, Old Salt, That would be congress, not the President.
I am simply appalled by what the Obama Administration is doing to our military and we Vets. I was told that if I had an emergency that the only ER that would accept me and cover my visit was NHP. That was inconvenient enough and now we don’t even have that. It makes me sick to see what Obama is doing to this country and the socialist government that we are turning into. If anyone deserves the best care in this world it should be our military and we Vets! Huah!
Yep, thankyou Mr. Big Govt. Your welcome for my service. No, I dont mind a bit if you take away even more of my promised benefits.
“Old Salt” has summed it up very well.
While individuals in our armed forces remain committed to their mission they have less and less support from our government.
“Do More with Much Less” seems to be the credo.
We have indeed slipped from being the world’s most powerful and influential nation and that is a shame for many reasons.
To deny benefits to Veterans is a near act of treason and an embarrassment to all of the USA.
We do, however, understand and accept that the management and staff of the NHP are following the orders received from above. Like dedicated members of the military they must obey and carry through.
Thank you mr. obama and all the low information voters who voted for him. Since veterans sacrificed with life, limb, etc. why not give them the same benefits that Congress has? All congress does is spend $. Compare the two public servants, and what they do, and have done. They should be placed at the front of the line upon returning from serving. Yet, mr. obama and his administration allows at least 40 vets to pass while waiting….waiting….waiting…
Do you think Harry Reid, John McConnell wait for medical treatment? I think not.
Thank you again, low information voters for our current potUS…
…another casualty of the Obama Administration. NHP used to be a training facility for medical personnel; a place where skills would be learned and later deployed. Our military continues to lose it edge and advantage around the world, and this is proof of the continued evisceration of our armed forces by the President.