Local healthcare partners are critical to Blanchfield's medical mission

Photo By Fred Holly | Col. Vincent B. Myers, commander, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital talks with TRICARE Network providers from the local community about the hospital's medical mission, April 13, during a network partner event on Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Regional TRICARE contractors provide healthcare services and support beyond what's available at military hospitals and clinics for eligible beneficiaries.  

FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY, UNITED STATES

04.24.2023

Story by Maria Christina Yager 

Blanchfield Army Community Hospital

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – Army Medicine, Defense Health Agency and Regional TRICARE contractor Humana Military officials welcomed local TRICARE Network healthcare providers to The Sabalauski Air Assault School on Fort Campbell, Kentucky, April 13.

TRICARE is the healthcare program for uniformed service members, retirees, and their families around the world.

“Our network partners are critical in helping us accomplish our mission,” said Brig. Gen. Mary V. Krueger, commanding general, Medical Readiness Command, East, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

As the leader of a multi-faceted mission supporting the medical readiness of Soldiers in the eastern region of the United States; it’s Krueger’s responsibility to ensure that Army Medicine Soldiers in the region are trained and ready to support their role in the Total Force Mission.

Military treatment facilities in the Military Health System, like Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, give service members in medical career fields a platform to regularly practice medicine caring for service members, retirees and family members. This helps them maintain proficiency on the medical skills the Army needs them to provide downrange. When medical Forces supporting BACH and other facilities in the region deploy to field hospitals and forward surgical teams, train, or transfer, military treatment facilities may experience provider gap.

“Our network partners are essential to make sure that wrap around care is always there,” said Krueger.

The regional TRICARE contractors provide healthcare services and support beyond what's available at military hospitals and clinics for eligible beneficiaries.

This network event provided these partners with the opportunity to learn more about the patient population they serve on Fort Campbell and unique needs they may have.

“We have incredible partners in the Clarksville, Hopkinsville and Nashville area. It is critically important we continue to work together to support the needs for our 70,000 patients including the 29,000 Soldiers we serve,” said Col. Vincent B. Myers, Blanchfield commander. “We rely on these partnerships for medical support outside of our capabilities.”

At the networking event, Krueger and Myers welcomed guests, connected with each visiting partner, and shared how critical partners are to support the medical mission. Then the partners received an Air Assault demonstration and some even climbed the iconic tower to determine if they had the courage to rappel.

“When I got up to the top and that wind started to pick up, and it started to howl a little more, I looked over the edge and saw that steep drop. But, then you look across and see one of those Soldiers sitting right with you and you know you’re in good hands” said Nicholas Howald, TriStar Skyline Medical Center, chief operations officer. Howald and others welcomed the chance to experience some air assault action.

“We gave them an opportunity to rappel down the Air Assault wall and other obstacles in order to provide a glimpse into the rigors our Soldiers face as they train,” said Krueger.

“Just to be able to come up here and spend a little more time with the Soldiers up here and actually get a glimpse of what they go through every single day made it all worthwhile and really puts things into perspective as we take care of the Soldiers in this facility and anyone who comes down to Nashville,” said Howald.

TRICARE serves more than 9 million service members and military retirees and their families worldwide at more than 500 military hospitals, health clinics and through network partners. Individuals must be registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System to receive TRICARE Benefits. Plans vary based on beneficiary category. Learn more at https://tricare.mil

• Date Taken: 04.24.2023
• Date Posted: 04.24.2023 14:32
• Story ID: 443236
• Location: FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY, US