NHP to drop in-patient, OB care

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Effective in July, Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla., will transition to an ambulatory care facility with focus on outpatient care and same-day ambulatory surgical procedures. NHP will no longer provide in-patient care or obstetric (OB) services. Expectant mothers with a delivery date after the transition will be referred to an area Tricare network health care facility. OB patients will be assigned an OB provider through Tricare, but will have the option to select their own OB provider. "The transition to an ambulatory care model will have minimal impact on the majority of our patients," said Capt. Amy Branstetter, NHP commanding officer. NHP patients include active duty, military retirees and both their family members, according to an NHP media release. The decline in the delivery of babies at NHP allows for the volume to easily be absorbed into the civilian network, according to the release. The Navy Medicine decision to refer OB patients to the network is part of efforts to realign health care services at all military treatment facilities, and to ensure providers have critical military medical training. NHP’s OB staff will be “assigned to other areas of the hospital or other Navy facilities where their skills will be fully utilized," the CO said. NHP-enrolled patients will continue to have access to primary and specialty care through Medical Home Port teams. Laboratory, pharmacy, and radiology will continue to be available to Tricare Prime and TRICARE Select beneficiaries. (Source: Naval Hospital Pensacola 02/21/18) NHP is a former 3-year Family Medicine residency program, which included specialty training in OB and urgent care. FM residency training ended about two years ago. NHP has 10 branch health clinics at NAS Meridian and Gulfport, Miss., New Orleans, as well as NAS Whiting Field, Fla.