Medical group incorporates new nurse advice line Published Oct. 7, 2014 By Airman 1st Class Ty-Rico Lea 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Military Health System has incorporated a new program to make the process of receiving and seeking medical assistance easier for all TRICARE beneficiaries. The 325th Medical Group complies with Federal Regulated Access to Care standards. The new Nurse Advice Line is a 24/7, toll-free service that allows TRICARE beneficiaries to discuss questions about their health with a medical professional. If needed, the nurse can help ensure a next day appointment is booked with your Military Training Facility primary care provider. If there are no appointments available, the nurse advice line will help patients find care in the civilian network. For routine care, enrollees must be provided an appointment within seven days. For wellness visits or specialty care referrals, patients must be provided an appointment within 28 days. When the clinic is unable to meet these standards, our enrollees are provided an authorization to get their needed medical care from other healthcare providers in our civilian network. The NAL gives patients another access point to help us provide the care that our patients need in a timely manner. "It allows us to use all of our resources more efficiently by providing our patients the care they deserve as quickly as possible," said Maj. Jennifer Bratz, 325th Medical Group chief nurse. "Before the NAL system was in place, the patient would call and leave a message for one of our clinical nurses from the respective clinic. The nurse would then return the call within 24 to 72 hours depending on the severity of the call. With this new advice line it gives our patients immediate access to registered nurses for medical advice over the phone." The NAL is available to all branches of military providing support to active duty, guard and reserve as well as providing assistance to military dependents. The advice line features a 24/7 service for patient convenience for all TRICARE beneficiaries. "In some cases, you'll have patients that are debating whether they should treat themselves, go to the urgent care or even go to the emergency room," said Capt. Amanda Davis, 325th MDG group practice manager. "It's nice for our patients to have the option to speak to a registered nurse that can help them decided whether self-care is the best option, or if they need to see a healthcare provider." When contacting the advice line, patients should expect to speak to a representative that will verify the beneficiary's eligibility. "The first line of response will be administrative personnel," Davis said. "Once a patient has verified their identity, that patient will then be transferred to a registered nurse who'll discuss patient concerns and provide medical advice and other self-care options that are available." This procedure is incorporated to assist patients in making the best decision to secure their health. "The personnel at the NAL have the ability to book appointments for the providers in our clinic," Davis said. "Therefore, when the most appropriate plan of care is for our patients to be seen within 24 hours, the NAL will book the appointment for our patients to see their PCM within our Tyndall clinic. We want our patients to have the most access to their healthcare team as their care is our first priority; we want them to receive the care as quickly as possible." The trending peak times for the Nurse Advice Line are from 7:00 a.m. through 9:00a.m. "We want to get this information to our patients so that they may plan/time their calls and possibly reduce the wait time to speak to a Register Nurse," Davis said. There are several other options which TRICARE beneficiaries can take advantage of in addition to the nurse advice line. "The 325th MDGs vision is to be your choice for unrivaled healthcare." Davis said. "In our efforts to provide our patients with the care they need in the timeframe they need it, we also offer other forms of access to your primary care provider." MiCare secure messaging allows patients a direct line to their provider team. Through MiCare, patients can ask questions about their care, request prescription renewals, requests appointments. To enroll in MiCare, contact the clinic at 850-283-2778. Patients also have the ability to sign up for TRICARE online. This is a secure portal that allows enrollees to book appointments, order prescription refills, and even has a "Blue Button" feature that allows patients to look up their lab and radiology results, medication lists, previous encounter information, vitals, immunizations, and allergy information. To utilize TRICARE online go to www.TRICAREonline.com. To contact the nurse advice line, dial 1-800-TRICARE (874-2273).