Photo By Airman 1st Class Christopher Morales | The Aeromedical Evacuation clinic creates packages for every traveling patient at...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The 673rd Medical Group Aeromedical Evacuation program helps patients receive the medical attention they need, can pay for the trip and lodging, and allows family and friends to come along to take care of anything else.
If the treatment can’t be handled in the local area, hope is not lost; there is still a way.
“We never deny the patient care; we never want to stop their care, which is why we have this program,” said Airman 1st Class James Rouse, 673d MDG Aeromedical Evacuation technician. “Even if we don’t have the capabilities to treat the patient here, as long as they are command sponsored and have TRICARE Prime, we have the capabilities to get them somewhere they can receive their care.”
If the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson hospital is unable to treat a particular condition, they look to local clinics in Alaska. If none are available, the AE program will schedule an appointment for the patient at the closest out-of-state hospital.
“For example, if you can’t see anybody off base for physical therapy and our physical therapy clinic closes, then we would be referring people to the Lower 48,” said Staff Sgt. Vanessa Amidon, noncommissioned officer in charge of Patient Travel and Family Clearance Call. “A lot of people don’t think Alaska is remote, but there are a lot of conditions we can’t support that people just don’t know.”
As of right now tasks like liver transplants and treatment for late-stage tumors can’t be done here, because Alaska doesn’t have medical technicians who specialize in these fields. Other things, like neurosurgery and the pediatric subspecialties of cardiology and rheumatology, are also not treated here.
“We help all patients with TRICARE Prime, if they don’t have TRICARE Prime they automatically don’t qualify for the benefit,” Rouse said.
Active duty, retirees, dependents and some special cases qualify.
“We aim for our patients to be command-sponsored on base, as well,” Rouse said. “When a dependent has been cleared by our Chief of Medical Staff, they can be taken out of here for whatever medical conditions they may have.”
The chief of medical staff also has the final say in paying for the travel, because some cases are not vital and most expenses, if not all, come out of the MDG’s funds.
The 673d MDG receives a million-dollar budget for patient travel, renewed every fiscal year. Just before October is a difficult time for the clinic because they are a little low on funds, so many appointments are rescheduled for later if possible.
“If a patient can afford to wait at that time we ask to reschedule the appointment,” Rouse said. “We do send [urgent] patients. We don’t stop the whole program completely. Our patients [who] need to go now, we get them out, and if a patient is in critical condition we make sure they make it to the appointment site.”
The AE clinic keeps in touch with the patients before and after the flight for as long is necessary and closely manage the whole affair. Coordinating resources here and at the location for all their patients, the AE clinic put a lot of effort into the care of their patients, in and out of their hospital.
| Date Taken: | 12.11.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 03.03.2016 13:40 |
| Story ID: | 190994 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 111 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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