New Nurse Advice Line provides TRICARE recipients with options

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Collin Schmidt
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
Editor's note: John Osment, 1st Lt. Patricia Kodis and 2nd Lt. Bryant Johanson contributed to this article.

"Can I tough this out or should I seek additional help?" For many service members, this can be a question asked many times throughout their military careers. For just about everybody, this tends to be a question we ask ourselves a lot throughout our lives. Sometimes it can be challenging to tell if certain health symptoms are minor in nature, or if they may lead to major problems, so having a qualified and highly trained professional within rings distance can be very valuable.

The Military Health System's new Nurse Advice Line for TRICARE beneficiaries provides just that. Effective immediately, TRICARE beneficiaries can call the NAL 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"The NAL is a team of registered nurses who are available to answer a variety of urgent healthcare questions." said 2nd Lt. Bryant Johanson, 341st Medical Support Squadron, TRICARE operations and patient administration flight commander. "They can help you decide whether self-care is the best option, or if it is better to see your healthcare provider. There will always be a live-person on the line to address your concerns."

Active duty service members, retirees, military dependents and all TRICARE members will have this service.

"Say you have a cold," said John Osment, 341st Medical Support Squadron chief information officer. "We know you can't cure it but the discomfort is what worries most people, which is why they come in to see a provider. When you see a doctor here in the clinic, for example, you have to take into account your time off work, travel time and time away from family. Usually what ends up happening is they will tell you to self-medicate using over the counter medicine such as Tylenol, acetaminophen and others etc., and that if the problem persists over the next few days they will be able to help you further and provide additional support.

"The NAL is the same exact thing in the respect that these trained professionals listen over the phone to the patient describe these symptoms and recommend an action plan to take away some of the discomfort and help cure the ailment," he continued. "If additional care is needed, they have the training to recognize these symptoms and schedule an appointment. It has a two-part benefit of providing on-the-spot support for a patient in need and also freeing up critical space in the urgent care department for patients with severe cases."

For pediatric cases, this service provides critical help throughout the patient's ailment. Not only does the NAL professional provide guidance during the initial phone call, but they will also follow up with a call back in a few hours to see how the patient has progressed. If a parent needs questions answered quickly, the NAL is the one all-encompassing service which can provide immediate assistance.

"One of the big things the medical enterprise is trying to transition more into is instead of just cranking out appointments and being a machine, we are trying to focus on providing the absolute highest quality of care by implementing the NAL and providing that immediate service," said Johanson. "That is our ultimate goal."

With the NAL, patients' quality of care and overall quality of life is on the rise. People who need immediate service, or who even just need some sound guidance on what to do in a situation, now have the opportunity to have their needs met directly. On the flip side, patients who require hands-on urgent care also greatly benefit by their health care professionals being able to provide them faster service in-house.

"We've implemented several new technologies this past year," Osment said. "MiCare, and now the Nurse Advice Line are making it easier for our beneficiaries to access care anytime of the day or night." That's really what it's all about; getting the right care to our beneficiary at the right time so they feel better faster."

"We're testing this new system every day right now," he continued. "We want to ensure there is value added and the information our beneficiaries get is correct"

To access the NAL, dial (406) 731-4MED (4633); option 1. You may also dial toll-free at 1-866-731-4MED (4633).