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FORT MCPHERSON, Ga. (November 11, 2009) - With
the future relocation of Third Army / U.S. Army Central to Shaw Air
Force Base, S.C., right around the corner, many questions have
arisen across every spectrum imaginable to include healthcare
services. Many service members and Family members are wondering
what services to expect and where they will go to receive
healthcare service once they arrive at Shaw AFB.
Lt. Col. Jeff Mosso, assigned to the
Third Army surgeon's office, is the lead medical planner for Base
Realignment and Closure and assisting with the transition of
healthcare services from Fort McPherson to Shaw AFB. Echoing the
command's commitment to providing quality healthcare for the
Soldiers and Families of Third Army, Mosso said he is working hand
in hand with the Shaw community to ensure that the transition of
medical services is a smooth and seamless process.
He said Third Army, in coordination
with the U.S. Army Medical Command, Dental Command and Veterinarian
Command, is putting forth unwavering efforts to ensure the
appropriate agreements, procedures and processes are in place at
Shaw AFB prior to the arrival of Third Army's Soldiers and Family
members.
"As service members and their
Families relocate to Shaw Air Force Base, healthcare services will
fundamentally remain unchanged from what they have been accustomed
to," said Mosso. "All of our service members and their dependents
will continue to receive healthcare equal to, if not greater than,
the service they received at the Joel Lawrence Clinic and
throughout Atlanta."
Service members and eligible
dependents will be qualified to receive healthcare services through
the 20th Medical Group and local TRICARE network providers in the
Sumter community.
The 20th Medical Group has the
capacity to serve a vast majority of Third Army's needs, but not
unlike Fort McPherson, we can expect that some Third Army personnel
and Family members may be outsourced to the local TRICARE network.
Those that are interested and would like to check availability of
primary care managers in the Shaw Air Force Base area can go
on-line to the TRICARE website at,
http://www.humana-military.com/south/bene/tools-resources/BeneSiteProvLoc.asp.
Shaw AFB and the 20th Medical Group
provides an assortment of medical and dental services which include
Family practice, pediatric care, limited gynecological services,
immunizations, general dentistry, physical therapy, optometry,
substance abuse counseling, and more, said Mosso. Other services
not available through the 20th Medical Group will be provided
through the TRICARE network.
Although Shaw Air Force Base provides
basic dental services to service members, Family members eligible
through the TRICARE dental program will be outsourced to other
dentistry offices within the local area.
"We are continuing to work with our
partners at Shaw AFB and the 20th Medical Group as we prepare for
the closure of Fort McPherson and move to Shaw," said Mosso. "We
want this to be as smooth a transition as it can be. We understand
that not everything will be easy going forward, but we're working
hard to alleviate the headaches for the individuals and Families
making the move with ARCENT."
As Fort McPherson moves forward in
the preparation to closing the gates, the Joel Lawrence Clinic on
post will also begin to scale back services.
As of Nov. 16, Joel Lawrence is no
longer accepting new enrollments for Family members. Family members
already enrolled at Joel Lawrence will continue to receive support
until Oct. 1, 2010, when the clinic will become a troop medical
clinic for active duty service members only and Family members will
be referred through the Atlanta area Tricare network of
providers.
Joel Lawrence TMC will then close as
of July 15, 2011, and those Soldiers who remain after the closure
will be referred out to the Tricare network with additional
deployment or readiness assistance available at Fort Gordon and
Fort Benning, Ga.
Once Fort McPherson closes its doors
Sept. 15, 2011, the TRICARE service office will relocate to another
location in the Atlanta Metro area and continue to service the
needs of our service members and retiree population that remain in
the Atlanta area.
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