Fort Bliss Monitor

Troop Talk

The following issues and concerns came out in sensing sessions during a recent TRADOC Equal Oppor-tunity Staff Assistance visit. I will answer most of them in this column, but others require further research before I can respond with accurate information. I encourage unit commanders to post these responses on bulletin boards and ensure widest dissemination.

One of the major concerns expressed by Soldiers was about the quality of health care they receive and the long wait times. All complaints about services at William Beaumont Army Medical Center are taken seriously. Anyone who has a problem should talk to the supervisor in that area. If they are not satisfied with the response, the Patient Advocacy office at the hospital sole mission is to work with patients to make sure they receive appropriate care and to assist them in resolving any issue they may have. Action will be taken to resolve all complaints. I also encourage the use of the ICE system to register complaints (or praises). The hospital commander and I read every one.

Most everyone is probably aware that the 31st CSH has been deployed to Iraq. This has strained the resources here at Fort Bliss. WBAMC is currently meeting TRICARE access standards for active duty soldiers in all specialty clinics (28 days) except Podiatry, Audiology, and Optometry. These are running about 30 to 32 days. Now, compare these achievements to where WBAMC was one year ago – the hospital was not meeting access standards for any of the nine speciality clinics. WBAMC is pursuing a number of initiatives in order to continue to improve the level of service. First, by referring patients to civilian providers when the 28 day standard cannot be met to to receive specialty care; second, by increasing the OB/GYN staff by one physician and two nurse midwives; and third, a sick call system has been instituted whereby a Soldier reports for sick call and is given a time to return so that they do not spend excessive time waiting. A recently established AIT Sick Call Screening Area for the AIT students in the AIT area will greatly reduce lost training time and improve their care as well as helping to reduce wait times at the Troop Medical Clinic.

Dental appointments and waiting time was also an area of concern.

Dental facilities currently service more than 10,000 active duty military personnel. Dental Clinic 3 on main post is at full capacity. However, our WBAMC dental facility is under utilized. Col. Paul F. Forte and his staff at the DENTAC are working on a plan to realign patients between the two facilities. That should reduce wait times and improve availability of appointments. That will be imp-lemented in the very near future once all the details are ironed out. Currently reserve dentists as well as civilian providers are working to handle CAT 3 patients and reduce this backlog. I expect that we will continue to see some delays periodically in this area due to the mobilizations that are on-going, but there should be improvement overall. This will mean Soldiers will be a little inconve-nienced and have to drive or have the unit provide transportation to get them up to the WBAMC dental clinic.

Remember to vote. Soldiers and family members, remember to go out and exercise your responsibility to vote in this important upcoming federal election. Make your vote count as military decisions are made that impact your family and your future as a Soldier.

Maj. Gen. Michael A. Vane
Fort Bliss Commanding General



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	October 7, 2004

	Troop Talk The following issues and concerns came out in sensing sessions during a recent TRADOC Equal Oppor-tunity Staff Assistance visit. I will answer most of them in this column, but others require further research before I can respond with accurate information. I encourage unit commanders to post these responses on bulletin boards and ensure widest dissemination. One of the major concerns expressed by Soldiers was about the quality of health care they receive and the long wait times. All complaints about services at William Beaumont Army Medical Center are taken seriously. Anyone who has a problem should talk to the supervisor in that area. If they are not satisfied with the response, the Patient Advocacy office at the hospital sole mission is to work with patients to make sure they receive appropriate care and to assist them in resolving any issue they may have. Action will be taken to resolve all complaints. I also encourage the use of the ICE system to register complaints (or praises). The hospital commander and I read every one. Most everyone is probably aware that the 31st CSH has been deployed to Iraq. This has strained the resources here at Fort Bliss. WBAMC is currently meeting TRICARE access standards for active duty soldiers in all specialty clinics (28 days) except Podiatry, Audiology, and Optometry. These are running about 30 to 32 days. Now, compare these achievements to where WBAMC was one year ago – the hospital was not meeting access standards for any of the nine speciality clinics. WBAMC is pursuing a number of initiatives in order to continue to improve the level of service. First, by referring patients to civilian providers when the 28 day standard cannot be met to to receive specialty care; second, by increasing the OB/GYN staff by one physician and two nurse midwives; and third, a sick call system has been instituted whereby a Soldier reports for sick call and is given a time to return so that they do not spend excessive time waiting. A recently established AIT Sick Call Screening Area for the AIT students in the AIT area will greatly reduce lost training time and improve their care as well as helping to reduce wait times at the Troop Medical Clinic. Dental appointments and waiting time was also an area of concern. Dental facilities currently service more than 10,000 active duty military personnel. Dental Clinic 3 on main post is at full capacity. However, our WBAMC dental facility is under utilized. Col. Paul F. Forte and his staff at the DENTAC are working on a plan to realign patients between the two facilities. That should reduce wait times and improve availability of appointments. That will be imp-lemented in the very near future once all the details are ironed out. Currently reserve dentists as well as civilian providers are working to handle CAT 3 patients and reduce this backlog. I expect that we will continue to see some delays periodically in this area due to the mobilizations that are on-going, but there should be improvement overall. This will mean Soldiers will be a little inconve-nienced and have to drive or have the unit provide transportation to get them up to the WBAMC dental clinic. Remember to vote. Soldiers and family members, remember to go out and exercise your responsibility to vote in this important upcoming federal election. Make your vote count as military decisions are made that impact your family and your future as a Soldier. Maj. Gen. Michael A. Vane Fort Bliss Commanding General