CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Comment: Hello, I am retired military and had some displeasure about calling the clinic recently. Every time I call, I get an answering machine. The answering machine says if you leave a message, it usually takes between one and three days for someone to get back with you. It has been my experience that, nine times out of 10, it is day three when I get a call back. I wanted to voice my concern and let you know that this is very aggravating and something needs to be done.
Response: Thank you for informing me about your concerns regarding not being able to speak with an individual when you called the clinic and the subsequent response time for the providers to contact you. During the first quarter of 2009, the provider teams responded to 7,549 telephone consults, while providing in-house care to 13,085 patients.
Our busiest times for call volume are 6:30 to 10 a.m. The use of recorded messages helps to direct the caller to the appropriate office for service. We recommend that you call after 10 a.m. on Tuesdays through Thursdays to expedite connection to an individual. Select the option to make an appointment with Family Practice and request a telephone consult. Telephone consults are immediately entered into the system, and your provider team will have visibility of your concerns significantly faster, thereby improving the response time. Additionally, if you would like to schedule a medical appointment, you also have the option of scheduling it through the TRICARE Online Web site, which is available at www.tricareonline.com.
Again, thank you for notifying me of your concerns. I hope this information has been helpful.