Women's health clinic designs care for patients

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Sarah McDowell
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  (Editor's note: This is the first story in the three-part feature series highlighting the 325th Medical Group's women's health clinic, flight medicine, and family practice.)

The 325th Medical Operations Squadron Women's Health Clinic aims to foster an environment for women's gynecological and some obstetrical services.

Since the clinic's inception five years ago, its members have maintained relationships with patients and upgraded the clinic's systems and technologies to make visits pleasant and efficient. The staff includes a nurse practitioner who sees about 60 patients a day.

"Women's health is a specialty on its own," said Andrea Moore, women's health clinic nurse practitioner. "Women need to know that this clinic is a place they can come to have some understanding of their concerns."

The mission of the clinic is to provide gynecological services to all female patients from adolescent to geriatric. The clinic routinely conducts gynecological examinations, general gynecology, postpartum care, family planning, contraceptive counseling and transitional obstetrical care.

One new program at the clinic is pregnancy testing management. This allows the women's health clinic and the pediatric clinic to capture well baby exams and postpartum follow-ups after delivery, which is essential care for mothers and their babies.

The clinic has also streamlined the Contraceptive Injection Program (Depro-Provera)ensuring more efficient and quality care.

Another service in the clinic is follow- up for patients with abnormal pap tests. The WHC has a hi-tech medical device called a Colposcope, which uses a camera to search for cervical cancer.

"Right now there is research going on about the human papillomavirus and how it can cause cervical cancer and abnormal cervical cells," Ms Moore said. "To combat this, the clinic will be offering a vaccination that has been proven to prevent cervical cancer from certain types of HPV by 100 percent in the near future."

The incorporation of Coloposcope, along with Thin Prep testing, as opposed to the older version pap test, has allowed the clinic to track more than 1,000 diagnostic procedures to detect cervical cancer in its early stages. The improved technology has helped extend lives and prevent prolonged suffering.

"This technology also allows us to follow our population within the facility and not have to refer them downtown," Ms. Moore said.

Additionally, to make sure all of the patients' needs are met, the clinic has worked to improve patient access.

"We have reservists assisting us, and leadership is working to bring in a second-full time provider for Women's Health, but in interim there may be some wait times for annual exams," said Ms. Moore.

The effort to limit this time is just another aspect of the environment the WHC wants to create for its customers.

"I believe that women need to have a place especially for them to discuss their needs and concerns, and we provide that for them on a daily basis," said Ms. Moore We want them to be comfortable with coming to see us and feel they have been taken care of when they leave."