Med group to extend clinic hours

  • Published
  • the 39th Medical Group
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  The 39th Medical Group will begin extended hours in the family practice clinic Aug. 3, which will allow the Incirlik community more access to family practice providers after normal duty hours.

The new process will offer the opportunity for patients to be seen from 8:30 a.m. through 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Also included is an abbreviated clinic on Saturdays, holidays, family days and goal days from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Services will not be available Sundays.

"The new capability will really serve the community well," said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Keryl Green, the 39th MDG Chief of Medical Staff. "This program will give Family Practice an expanded capability which will better allow us to see our patients with same day service."

For non-emergency appointments, patients can call the clinic at 676-6666 to make an appointment. If an appointment is not available during the normal duty hours, the patient will be offered an appointment during the extended hour's timeframe. Walk-ins will not be accepted during extended hours. If an appointment occurs during business hours, patients will report to the Family Practice main check-in location. After the building is closed, at approximately 5 p.m., patients must enter through Ambulance Services by either walking down the ramp or using the stairs at the back of the building that lead to the service entrance.

Another step in the evolution of Incirlik medical care involves emergency medicine. In an emergency, cases involving life threatening ailments or loss of limbs and eyesight, patients will no longer be transported to the on-base clinic. Instead, these patients will be transported directly to the Emergency Room at one of the new state-of-the-art hospitals in Adana, Turkey.

"The new medical facilities off base are developing at an unbelievable rate," Doctor Green said. "Three new, state-of-the-art hospitals have opened within the past eight months and are similar to the standards we expect back in the U.S. As an additional service, when our member's are transported off base for an emergency, we provide a patient liaison to help with translation, directions and general assistance."

Similarly, if a patient calls in for non-emergent, after-hours care and feels they cannot wait for the next available appointment, they now have the option to go off base to one of these emergency rooms for care. The patient may opt to meet a liaison at the clinic and travel to the hospital together, meet the translator at the designated emergency room, or travel to the designated emergency room without a liaison. All of these off-base options must be coordinated through the 39th MDG to avoid getting billed for the visit unnecessarily. If the visit is not properly coordinated, the patient may be at risk to pay their bill directly out of their own pocket.

"We really want people to know that if they have an emergency, they shouldn't waste time driving to the Medical Group," Dr. Green said. "The clinic does not have an ER, is not staffed 24/7, and is not equipped to handle true life-threatening emergencies. Patients need to call 9-1-1 so the ambulance can get them the proper treatment at a facility that has the resources, equipment and staffing to provide immediate emergency care."

To make a regular appointment with the clinic, call 676-6666 and follow the phone instructions. In case of a medical emergency, immediately call 9-1-1 from a DSN phone, or 0322-316-1911 from a cell phone. Do not drive to the clinic.