October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month Nurture Healthy Relationships
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Every Second Counts
Bird Battle
Have 2 Ways Out
War Eagles Versus the "Other" Birds
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N A S SIG O N E L L A
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OCTOBER 6, 2017
Vol. 34 No. 37
U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella to transition to outpatient clinic with same-day surgeries, birthing capabilities maintained By Lt. Tammy Nguyen U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella Public Affairs Office
SIGONELLA, Italy –U.S. Naval Hospital (USNH) Sigonella will transition to an outpatient clinic Oct. 1, 2018, maintaining same-day surgical services. Maternal care and birthing capabilities will be available for women who are low risk and are expected to have uncomplicated births, consistent with what is offered at other Navy Medicine clinic commands. Emergency, outpatient and ancillary services will also remain unchanged. The shift to outpatient services, preventive care and wellness better aligns with the health care needs of the service members in the region who are generally healthy and is part of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) ongoing efforts to ensure the readiness of our service members and their families by optimizing military health care facilities across the globe, including those in Europe. The ongoing optimization of U.S. military treatment facilities ensures quality care is available to all beneficiaries, whether care is provided at an outpatient clinic or at a TRICARE network facility. “Keeping the Navy and Marine Corps family ready, healthy and on the job remains our top priority. Whether care is provided at USNH Sigonella, or at one of our Italian TRICARE network facilities, access to care for our service members and their families is not changing. We will continue to provide full-service primary and specialty care, same-day surgeries and welcome new babies into the world,” said Capt. Kim Lefebvre, commanding officer, USNH Sigonella. “When a service member or a member of their family requires care that exceeds capabilities at the naval hospitals, their primary care manager will determine the best plan of care which may include referrals to the TRICARE network in Italy, or to other military treatment facilities,” said Lefebvre. TRANSITION TO OUTPATIENT CLINIC 2-2-2 ”The Navy’s commitment to ensuring Sailors, Marines and their families will never change,” said Rear Adm. Anne Swap, commander, Navy Medicine East (NME), the organization with regional oversight of Navy Medicine eastern hemisphere, which includes USNH Naples and Sigonella. USNH Sigonella leadership and staff are partnering
U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella at NAS 1. (Photo by MC2 Ramon Go)
closely with host nation health care facilities to ensure the best experience possible for all our patients by providing patient liaisons, case managers, and translation services to support continuity of care and to help address cultural differences in the experience of care. In addition to the close collaboration with its Italian counterparts, USNH Sigonella providers will conduct daily rounds on all DoD patients hospitalized at host nation hospitals. Any medical care not able to be provided at USNH Sigonella will be coordinated under the TRICARE Overseas Program. This Defense Health Agency program ensures health care is delivered by vetted, credentialed overseas providers even in the most austere locations. All network providers are required to meet accreditation standards specific to the host nation, and are
Capt. Brent Trickel, commanding officer of Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, signs a Domestic Violence Awareness Month proclamation at the Fleet and Family Support Center on NAS 1. The proclamation states: Domestic Violence Awareness Month is intended to inform the community about the damage caused to individuals, children, long-term health, work productivity and community safety from domestic violence and engage the community in preventing domestic violence. This month’s motto is “Be the Change” and also encourages people to show their support by wearing purple on Thursdays to spread domestic violence awareness. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher Gordon/Released)
required to have certification and recertification programs to ensure the delivery of quality care. This includes, but is not limited to, organizational and individual provider credentials and processes to evaluate health care quality, safety and compliance. USNH Sigonella is located in the heart of the Mediterranean in Sicily, Italy. The command encompasses the main facility with a satellite clinic and two branch clinics located in Souda Bay, Greece and the Kingdom of Bahrain. The 400 staff members of USNH Sigonella provide high quality, patient-centered care to approximately 7,000 active duty, family members, retirees operational and NATO forces, and other eligible patients through international collaboration and status of force agreements. For more information, visit: www.med.navy.mil/ sites/sigonella.
Capt. Brent Trickel, commanding officer of Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, poses for a group photo in front of a Domestic Violence Awareness Month proclamation with the staff of NAS Sigonella’s Fleet and Family Support Center. The proclamation states: All citizens should become involved in supporting their colleagues, neighbors and friends by utilizing resources to prevent domestic violence and should create partnerships among leadership, social service agencies, schools, faith-based communities, civic organizations and law enforcement agencies to address domestic violence. This month’s motto is “Be the Change” and also encourages people to show their support by wearing purple on Thursdays to spread domestic violence awareness. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher Gordon/Released)