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MDG town hall meeting puts patients first
Posted 2/11/2011 Updated 2/11/2011
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by Connie Hempel
17th Training Wing Public Affairs
2/11/2011 - GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The 17th Medical Group held this year's first quarterly town hall meeting Feb. 8, providing beneficiaries a venue for updates and an opportunity to speak with the group's executive staff about concerns when it comes to their medical care.
While balancing what they can provide with what they have available, the staff assured the audience that they are committed to providing the best service possible to meet their patients' needs.
"If we don't, we owe you a prompt explanation," said Col Jim Forrest, 17th Medical Group Commander.
One concern raised during the meeting was difficulty getting pediatric appointments. This was also an issue brought forth during the October 2010 town hall, and from that point on, staff from the medical group and TRICARE met with local pediatricians and have recently secured off-base pediatricians for patients with TRICARE.
"It's an ongoing process and we're meeting with more pediatricians to get that fixed," said Lt. Col. Tyler Sanders, 17th Medical Support Squadron Commander and Administrator for the medical group.
He also stressed that each clinic - student, family, pediatrics and even dental - can only book so many appointments each day, and every time someone misses their appointment, it's a lost appointment that could've gone to someone else.
Another concern addressed was customer service, both on the phone and in-person. The group is currently in the process of correcting this area by training all medical group staff on tools they can use to provide better customer service.
Going hand-in-hand with improving customer service, they are also revamping the patient advocacy program and making it more visible to the patients. Some of the changes patients will see as part of this include a new comment card, more locations to place the cards and improved processes to reduce wait time.
"If a patient is upset there will always be someone available for them to talk to," Lt. Col. Sanders said. "We don't want anyone to walk away from the clinic upset. We're here to serve you, the patient."
Along with patient advocates and holding town hall meetings to address concerns, the group's Facebook page offers patients another avenue to have their problems addressed by leaving comments for the medical staff. With clinic renovations coming in the near future, it will also be used to give patients the latest updates on how the construction may affect their visit. Just log into Facebook and search for: Goodfellow AFB Medics profile.
The group plans to have town hall meetings quarterly. The next meeting is scheduled for May 17 at 7 p.m. at the Event Center. It will be advertised on their Facebook page, the base marquees and in the base newspaper, and will be open to all medical group beneficiaries.
For questions concerning the new initiatives or the upcoming town hall meeting, contact the 17th MDG TRICARE Operations and Patient Administration Flight Commander, Capt. David Abbott at (325) 654-3088. |
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