Academy ER to close March 31 Published March 6, 2008 By Richard Carlson 21st Medical Group PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The U.S. Air Force Academy Hospital will close its emergency room April 1 and open an acute care clinic in its stead. This transition is the first stage in the conversion of the hospital to an outpatient clinic with an ambulatory surgery center. Approximately 95 percent of patients admitted to the ER have non-emergency medical conditions. The new clinic will continue to treat these patients. The clinic will be an appointment-based clinic, providing acute and non-emergency care to eligible Department of Defense beneficiaries 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It will be staffed by both military and civilian family practice physicians, assistants and nurse practitioners. The clinic will initially operate in the existing ER location until the 10th Medical Group's ongoing acute care clinic facility renovation project is completed. This $3.6-million project, which began in December 2007, is scheduled for completion in June. When completed, this new space will offer a new and improved location for clinic operations. During normal duty hours, 7:30 am. to 4:30 p.m., TRICARE Prime patients enrolled at Peterson and Schriever AFB with acute and non-emergency care needs should call the Military Healthcare Access to Care Line. Personnel from Schriever and Peterson AFB can call 556-CARE, or 556-2273 for an appointment with their primary care manager. If the clinic is unable to provide an acute appointment, a referral may be entered for a civilian urgent care visit. For after-hours care, patients with acute and non-emergency care needs should call 457-CARE for an appointment with the acute care clinic at USAFA. Acute care appointments will be booked on a first-come, first-served basis for all active duty TRICARE Prime enrollees. Non-TRICARE Prime DOD-eligible patients will be booked on a space-available basis. For medical emergencies, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. For more information regarding the Academy ER closure and acute care clinic opening, contact the 10th MDG at 333-5111 or 333-5043.