New direct access clinic streams physical therapy

Capt. Scott Cheney, 2nd Medical Operation Squadron physical therapy element commander, manipulates a patient’s back during a follow-up appointment at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Jan. 12, 2016. A follow-up is required to evaluate a patient’s progress to ensure home exercises and treatments were effective. The 2nd MDOS physical therapy clinic is now seeing military members with acute sport injuries to include sprains and other muscle or joint related pain without a referral from a primary care manager. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Jannelle Dickey)

New direct access clinic streams physical therapy

Capt. Scott Cheney, 2nd Medical Operation Squadron physical therapy element commander, conducts a hip rotational strength test at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Jan. 12, 2016. With the direct access clinic, military members can receive immediate care without a referral from their primary care provider. After seeing a physical therapist, the patient will receive an exercise program to properly recover from the injury. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Jannelle Dickey

New direct access clinic streams physical therapy

Capt. Scott Cheney, 2nd Medical Operation Squadron physical therapy element commander, evaluates a patient during a follow-up appointment at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Jan. 12, 2016. The 2nd MDOS physical therapy clinic is now seeing military members with acute sport injuries to include sprains and other muscle or joint related pain without a referral from a primary care manager. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Jannelle Dickey)

New direct access clinic streams physical therapy

Published Jan. 13, 2016
By Senior Airman Jannelle Dickey
2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --

To ensure patients receive quality treatment in a timely manner, the 2nd Medical Operation Squadron physical therapy clinic recently rolled out a program offering more accessible care.

The new direct access clinic allows physical therapy technicians to provide immediate care, without requiring a referral, for military members who have recently been injured.

“Before, it was required for a patient with a new or acute injury to see their primary care managers first in order to receive a referral for physical therapy,” said Tech. Sgt. Aaron McGee, 2nd MDOS surgical services flight chief. “We’re now skipping the middle step and getting the patient right where they need to be.”

With the direct access clinic, it will be quicker and easier to be seen by a physical therapist.

“Personnel will wait a shorter period of time to be seen by a therapist to get put on an exercise program or receive a diagnosis on their injury,” said McGee. “Instead of that person waiting four weeks and being on a profile awaiting a further review from us, it will only be a week.”

Currently only Active duty personnel, not on Personnel Reliability Program status, will be accepted into the clinic for new musculoskeletal injuries that have occurred within 21 days.

“The patient can’t have prior history for the same injury, be on a profile related to the injury nor can it be an open wound or infected,” said McGee.

For example, if an individual previously underwent treatment for a hip injury and is suffering from chronic pain, they would need to follow proper protocol to receive a referral from their PCM.

“There are different stages of the healing process, and if we can catch the injuries in the acute phase, we have a higher chance of success to properly treat it,” said Capt. Scott Cheney, 2nd MDOS physical therapy element commander. “The sooner we see the patient, the sooner they can get back to duty.”

The 2nd Medical Group will also see benefits from the new program due to more available appointments.

“The most important benefit for both the patient and physical therapy is if we can see them within a couple of days after the injury occurred, that reduces the amount of time we may have to keep them in physical therapy,” said McGee. “We expect more appointments to be available due to getting people in and out more quickly.”

Cheney added the direct access will also unload individuals with these injuries from primary care and leave more appointments available for PCMs to see patients with illnesses.

“We are always trying to find the most efficient way to see patients and give them good quality care,” said McGee. “This may have been one of the easiest ways to increase availability and make the process smoother for the patient.”

To make an appointment for the direct access clinic or for more information, call the appointment line at 456-6555.