U.S. Army Alaska
MEDICAL CARE

Bassett Army Community Hospital at Fort Wainwright and the 3rd Medical Group hospital at Elmendorf Air Force Base are the two primary medical treatment facilities for Soldiers, family members and retirees and their families in Alaska. A number of civilian hospitals and civilian specialists augment the military facilities to provide complete medical care for personnel in Alaska.

While the 3rd Medical Group hospital serves Fort Richardson, Medical Department Activity Alaska (MEDDAC-AK) operates a troop medical clinic on post. Anchorage offers the largest number of civilian hospitals and private physicians in Alaska and is an excellent referral source for military healthcare providers.

Emergency ambulance service is available on a 24-hour basis on all posts and bases in Alaska for active-duty members and their families residing on a post or base. For active duty, dependents and retirees eligible for care who live off post or off base in Anchorage and Fairbanks, dialing 911 can access this service. Callers should be prepared to provide their name and phone number, location of patient, number and gender of patients and the nature of the illness or injury.

A parent must accompany dependent minors in order for them to receive treatment of any kind, unless a dire emergency exists. Parents who leave their children with friends while traveling out of the local area should always obtain a limited power of attorney from Legal Assistance authorizing a responsible person to consent to medical care for their children.

All family members are required to be screened for enrollment in the Exceptional Family Member Program before being granted command sponsorship in Alaska. Availability of specialized medical care is limited in Alaska, so some medical problems cannot be supported here.

For information about screening or the medical aspects of EFMP, contact the Fort Richardson Troop Medical Clinic at 384-7514 or the EFMP medical chief at BACH at 361-5711.

MEDDAC-AK also operates the Fort Wainwright Community Mental Health Services and the Drug and Alcohol Counseling service. Services provided by this department include individual and family counseling in a wide range of social areas. These include stress management, alcohol and drug abuse therapy and family relations. Information on these services can be obtained by calling 361-6059 or 361-6284 for social work services.

Fort Wainwright Medical Care

The hub of medical care for the more than 20,000 military beneficiaries north of the Alaska Range, Bassett Army Community Hospital (BACH) serves personnel from Fort Wainwright, Fort Greely, Eielson Air Force Base, Clear Air Force Station and all other eligible beneficiaries. The TRICARE office is in the main hospital.

The hospital is staffed with a team of doctors, nurses, Soldiers and civilians who provide a wide range of services, including family practice, internal medicine, general surgery, obstetric-gynecological care, otolaryngology (ENT/audiology), orthopedics, anesthesia, optometry, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, radiology, laboratory services and pediatrics.

Another essential service provided by BACH personnel is preventive medicine. This service addresses community health issues, occupational health services, environmental health and industrial hygiene. Preventive medicine is responsible for all sanitary inspections and some safety inspections for child-care providers on Fort Wainwright.
         Information on these services can be obtained by calling 361-5182.

BACH also provides dietician/nutrition care services to the Fort Wainwright community and employs a staff dietician who can assist personnel with weight reduction information and dietetics counseling. 
         Appointments can be made through the central appointment line at 361-4000.

Most active duty family members at Fort Wainwright use the Primary Care Clinic located on the first floor of Bassett Army Community Hospital and are assigned a primary care manager (PCM) if they are enrolled in TRICARE Prime. Active duty Soldiers receive their primary medical care at the Kamish Clinic located in Bldg. 3406 (next to Burger King).

Urgent medical care is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the emergency room at BACH. Anyone who believes they need immediate medical attention will be seen in the emergency room. Patients with minor medical problems or problems of a long-standing nature should be seen by their assigned primary care manager during regular duty hours. Call 361-4000 for an appointment with your PCM. The Fort Greely Aid Station can be contacted at 873-4977.

Patient Appointments
Bassett Army Community Hospital operates on a centralized appointment system for Primary Care (OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, and Internal Medicine) and Optometry clinics. To make an appointment, call 361-4000. If you cannot keep your appointment, please call and cancel at least 24 hours prior to the appointment.

This will assist clinics in meeting the demand for appointments. If you fail to cancel, you will be considered a no-show. Patients should arrive 15 minutes early for all appointments.

For all other appointment inquires or further information contact the hospital information desk at 361-5172. The Patient Advocate Office handles patient complaints and can be reached at 361-5291.

Fort Richardson Medical Care
Nearly 500 medical care practitioners and support staff provide primary and specialty care at the 3rd Medical Group hospital at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage.

The Fort Richardson community receives its health care from the Troop Medical Clinic on post and the 3rd Medical Group hospital at Elmendorf Air Force Base. Active duty Soldiers are members of the Troop Medical Clinic.

The clinic is conveniently located in Bldg. 604 on Richardson Drive and is open from 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Thursday mornings when it closes for training, reopening at 1 p.m. 
         Routine appointments begin at 9 a.m. and can be scheduled by calling 384-0600.

Sick call is for active duty only. No appointment is needed for sick call, which is from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Soldiers report to building 604 with a DD Form 689 SIGNED by their command. Upon entering the Troop Medical Clinic they will be triaged and directed where to go.

Family members and retirees receive care at the 3rd Medical Group hospital, located just inside Elmendorf’s Muldoon Road gate, near the Joint Military Mall. 
         Appointments, including same-day appointments, can be made by calling 580-2778.

Please turn your family’s health records in to the medical representative during in-processing or at the Troop Medical Clinic upon your arrival at Fort Richardson. Soldiers who require enrollment or screening in the Exceptional Family Member Program should contact the EFMP coordinator at the TMC or call 384-7514.

TRICARE is located in Bldg. 600; all services are on a walk-in basis. The Soldier patient advocate can be reached at 384-0763. The clinic also provides Occupational Health Services and immunizations to Fort Richardson civilian employees. Specialty clinic services and all in-patient services are provided by the 3rd Medical Group hospital.

Preventive Medicine services include health-risk appraisals, smoking cessation and childbirth classes. Patients may call the clinic at 384-0600 and ask for the Health Promotion NCO or call the Preventive Medicine Section at 384-1401 for information about the available services and classes.

The Community Mental Health Service, providing family advocacy and mental health counseling services, can be reached by calling 384-0405.

After-hours emergency care is only available at the 3rd Medical Group hospital’s emergency room. Emergency ambulance service is available by calling 911.

Dental Care
In Alaska, comprehensive dental care is provided for all active duty personnel. Active duty family members should be enrolled in the TRICARE Family Member Dental Plan administered by United Concordia Companies Inc. Many local dentists are participating providers in the UCCI insurance program.

A list of local providers can be obtained at your assigned post dental facility or through the UCCI Web site at http://www.ucci.com (click on TRICARE Dental Program). Family members should be enrolled for at least 60 days prior to making an appointment to be eligible for coverage.

Responsibility for FMDP enrollment falls on the Soldier and should be directly coordinated with UCCI via the Web site, toll free at (800) 866-8499, or by mail.

Fort Richardson
The Fort Richardson Dental Clinic is in Bldg. 634, at Second and B Streets. Clinic hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday. The clinic is closed every Thursday morning for training. The clinic is staffed to provide a broad spectrum of modern dentistry. The dental staff at the joint military hospital on Elmendorf Air Force Base is available for specialty referrals as necessary.

Dental sick call at the Fort Richardson Dental Clinic is 7:30 to 9 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and 12:30 to 2 p.m. Thursday. Annual examinations for active duty personnel are by appointment or walk-in basis. In-processing times are 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The clinic is open Monday through Friday, with the exception of holidays. Emergency care is available after duty hours by contacting the CQ paging system at 748-7050. The dental clinic telephone number is 384-2483

Fort Wainwright
Fort Wainwright’s Troop Dental Clinic is co-located with the Kamish Medical Clinic in Bldg. 3406 on South Gate Road. Clinic hours for routine care are 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday hours for routine care are 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dental sick call is 7 to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday. The dental clinic is closed to routine appointments Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for military training.

The telephone number for the Troop Dental Clinic is 353-2917. The Hospital Dental Clinic offers general dentistry and oral and maxillofacial surgery services. The clinic is located in Bassett Army Community Hospital.
Clinic hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Sick call hours are 7:30 to 9 a.m. Examinations are conducted 7:30 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. daily. The clinic is closed for routine appointments Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to accommodate military training.  The clinic phone number is 361-5135.

Emergency dental care is available 24 hours a day. During normal duty hours, individuals should report to their assigned dental clinic; after duty hours, report to the Bassett Army Community Hospital Emergency Room for evaluation and treatment. Acute emergencies, such as uncontrolled, excessive bleeding following oral surgery, facial swelling, fever associated with dental infection, oral lacerations, facial trauma and sudden severe toothache will be evaluated at any time, day or night. A parent or guardian must accompany minors (persons younger than 18 years of age) when requesting emergency dental care.