SCHRIEVER SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The 21st Medical Group will establish a new initiative called Telehealth Room at Schriever Space Force Base March 16.
The Telehealth Room is a 90-day pilot that will run through June 14 and supports Guardians and Airmen working in the restricted area by providing a private space to use personal cell phones for telehealth appointments with healthcare providers.
“The majority of Schriever SFB’s Guardians and Airmen work within the restricted area,” said U.S. Space Force Chief Master Sgt. Timothy Crouch, Space Base Delta 41 senior enlisted leader. “Access to care is always a concern for the force, but the challenge increases for many Schriever assigned members as our people are supporting, defending and conducting space operations daily. This can make it difficult to break away for medical care.
“Having dedicated telehealth access close to their work centers will help our members get the care they need while ensuring our members remain healthy and are able to focus on their role in space operations.”
This initiative was a collaborative effort between U.S. Space Force Combat Forces Command, SBD 41, 21 MDG and Medical Readiness Command-Bravo, who reports to Air Force Medical Command.
“MRC-B put together a tiger team — a specialized, cross-functional team brought together to solve a specific problem — that consisted of personnel from all these organizations to try and come up with a solution,” said U.S Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Dustin Johnson, 21st Medical Squadron senior enlisted leader. “Not being allowed to have cell phones in restricted area work centers was brought up as a roadblock for our patient populace which affected our people’s ability to make virtual appointments with their healthcare providers. On top of that, there wasn’t a dedicated space for Guardians and Airmen to have these appointments.”
The telehealth room is located in the restricted area in room 146 of building 300 and is available to be accessed 24/7.
“What excites me most about the program is the potential to grow into a worldwide network of providers to alleviate pain points for access to care,” Crouch said. “Although we’re not there yet, imagine sitting down at a video telehealth terminal on Schriever SFB at 3 a.m. to attend your appointment with a provider at Ramstein [Air Base, Germany]... that’s exciting!
Guardians and Airmen will book the room themselves via a platform called the Digital Appointment Portal and the 21 MDG leadership will be able to measure its usage and route those reports up to higher levels.
“Space within the restricted area is hard to come by, but the leadership at CFC and SBD 41 recognized the need to invest in this initiative,” Johnson said. “I think this is a major stride to help the members have a safe space for appointments. If this pilot program is fruitful, we’d like to continue to make improvements and, if necessary, look into making more spaces available.”
To learn more about 21st MDG, visit https://peterson.tricare.mil/Schriever-Clinic.