Photo By Maria Scott | Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River Sick Call for All Staff (Pictured left to right) LT...... read more read more
Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River (NHCPR) opened an acute care clinic to align with the Defense Health Agency’s new model of care and meeting patients “where they are”.
The “Sick Call for All” clinic offers acute care for all Tricare Prime beneficiaries and is open from 7:40 a.m. through noon on Mondays and Fridays. The acute care clinic opened January 10, 2025, and has experienced significant early success.
The decision to consider the acute care clinic walk-in model was driven by high patient demand and the clinic's limited capacity to handle weekend emergency room (ER) and urgent care (UC) visit follow-ups for patients.
Chief Medical Officer for NHCPR U.S. Navy Cdr. Steven Elek explained, “The clinic hours effectively addressed a critical gap in acute care services. On Mondays and Fridays our facility consistently demonstrated the highest volume of patients making these days crucial for accessibility. By operating on Mondays and Fridays, the goal is to mitigate the impact of weekend ER and UC visits, improve patient satisfaction by offering timely access to care, and optimize resource allocation.”
The acute care clinic was organized by Director of Health Services, U.S. Navy Cdr. Erica Arnold; U.S. Navy Lt. Moises Calero; and Allan McDaniel.
The addition of “Sick Call for All” has not only increased patient traffic but has resulted in significant upticks in laboratory, radiology and pharmacy services. The care team established a direct communication link from the clinic staff to pharmacy staff to expedite pharmacy requests.
“It has been a good experience. It is fast paced, efficient and we have received very positive feedback from the patients regarding manageable wait times and timely care," said Hospitalman Daniel Ibarra.
Patient feedback is encouraged through the Interactive Customer Evaluation (ICE) web-based program which allows patients to quickly and easily provide important feedback to the clinic. NHCPR will incorporate patient and staff feedback along with utilization to identify areas for improvement and possible expansion.
| Date Taken: | 01.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.28.2025 16:40 |
| Story ID: | 489744 |
| Location: | PATUXENT RIVER, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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