Pediatric Clinic Update Published June 15, 2009 92 Medical Group FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- If you have small children, you are probably aware that the Pediatric Clinic at the 92nd Medical Group is currently short staffed due to one of our two pediatricians separating from the Air Force in March. The good news is that help is on its way. We are pleased to announce that Capt (Dr.) Scott Dickson, our new pediatrician, will arrive in late July. Until then, we have teamed up with Family Medicine Spokane to continue providing the highest quality care to your children. Newborn Care If your child is born at either Deaconess or Sacred Heart Medical Center, a doctor from Family Medicine Spokane will provide your newborn's in-hospital care. Once your baby is discharged, call the 92nd Medical Group's appointment line at 247-2361 and request a telephone consultation with pediatrics for a referral for newborn follow-up care. You will be given authorization for six visits at Family Medicine Spokane for use during the first four months of your baby's life. These visits are for your child's initial newborn appointment, well baby appointments or for any other medical needs that arise. If you have your baby at a different hospital, their hospital care will be provided by one of the facility's pediatricians. When your baby is discharged, call the clinic to get authorization for your baby's follow-up care with Family Medicine Spokane. Once authorization is provided, you can call directly to Family Medicine Spokane to schedule your baby's appointments. In addition, please remember that you must enroll your newborn into TRICARE Prime within 60 days of birth. In order to enroll, there is a two step process. The first step is that you must take your newborn's birth certificate to enroll the child into DEERS at the Military Personnel Flight. The second step is you must visit the TRICARE service center at the Medical Group to enroll your child into TRICARE Prime. If this is not completed within 60 days of birth, your child will become TRICARE Standard. Under TRICARE Standard you will have a $150 deductible and 20% cost share for each visit once the deductible is met. If you have any questions about enrolling your baby in TRICARE Prime, please contact our Beneficiary Services office at 247-5575. Two Months to Five Years Care: If your child is under five years old, their medical care will be managed by the 92nd Medical Group's Pediatric Clinic. When your child is sick, or if they are due for a well child appointment, call the central appointment line and request an appointment. If an appointment is available, your child will be scheduled to see the pediatrician. If an appointment is not available in the time frame your child needs to be seen, the appointment line will forward a telephone consult to the pediatrician to determine the optimal care for your child. The nurse will call you back within two hours for urgent issues and within 1 duty day for all other concerns. Depending on the urgency, your child will be referred for care at Family Medicine Spokane or sent to urgent or emergency care. Over Five Care: If your child is five years old or older, and they become ill or need a well child visit or physical, call the central appointment line and request an appointment. They will be scheduled for an appointment in our Family Health Clinic. However, if your child has a chronic illness or special needs, they will continue to be seen by the staff pediatrician. If your child is 12 years old or older, you have the option of transferring their care to one of our family health providers. Please stop by the TriWest office to fill out the transfer paperwork. Important Additional Information: Before you make any appointments for your child at Family Medicine Spokane, you must have authorization for care from the 92nd Medical Group. Once you have authorization, you will have no co-payment for your appointment. However, if you make an appointment with Family Medicine Spokane without authorization, you will be responsible for the cost of that appointment. To assure continuity of care, when your child sees a provider at Family Medicine Spokane, a copy of the visit documentation is sent to the 92nd Medical Group for inclusion in their medical record. Family Medicine Spokane is located at 104W 5th Ave, Suite 200W, Providence Medical Center in the old 5th and Brown building. If your child has immunizations due, just drop by the immunization clinic during our operating hours, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. You do not need to wait for a well child visit to receive immunizations. Our immunization staff will know what your child needs. We will also be having special summer appointments for school and sports physicals on June 24, July 8 and 29, and August 12 from 2 to 4 p.m. Call and schedule a physical for your child through the Medical Group Appointment Line. We are working hard to meet your child's medical needs. Please bear with us during this difficult time and be assured that your child's health is very important to us. Important Phone Numbers: 92nd Medical Group Appointment Line: 247-2361 Family Medicine Spokane: 242-2863 Pediatric Clinic Patient Advocate: 247-5165 Beneficiary Services: 247-5575 Swine Flu Hotline: 247-3100