MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif. -- "My responsibility as installation commander is to make sure we serve the community," said Col. Steven Thompson, commanding officer, MCLB Barstow during a May 17 Town Hall meeting at the base.
The meeting was held to discuss upcoming changes to both the MCLB Barstow Branch Dental and Medical Clinics.
"What does that mean? For Barstow, it is significant in the fact that all of us have seen a decreasing amount of folks wearing the uniform, but I guarantee you that every service member that has come here gets support from the clinic and/or has [family members] who have asked the question, 'What kind of medical and dental support is available in Barstow?'"
To answer that question, Navy Capt. Steven Nichols, Medical Service Corps and commanding officer of the Naval Hospital at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, and Navy Capt. Darryl L. Taylor, commanding officer of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton's 1st Dental Battalion and the Naval Dental Clinic, presented the proposed changes to an audience of active and retired service members and their family members.
The area that will be most effected by the changes will be the dental services offered, as the dental clinic aboard base will be closing.
The Global War on Terrorism has caused problems with reenlistment and retention of both medical and dental personnel, resulting in an increasing shortage in the number of those personnel available in garrison to provide needed medical services, said Taylor.
First Dental Battalion currently commands approximately 90 dentists and 290 technicians, a good chunk of which are deployed to Iraq. Those who are left are needed to cover 14 other clinics, to include Barstow, he said.
Because of these effects, the decision to close the Barstow Dental Clinic was proposed after the Army implemented a program, resulting from the same situation.
"What the Army has done to try and offset [this] is they have been given permission to get dental care from a civilian dentist," said Taylor. "Because of the shortages we are experiencing in the Navy, we have asked for additional personnel but we have not been able to get the needed personnel." With this, the Navy has provided 1st Dental Battalion with funding that can be used in certain areas to make civilian care available to the military population.
Twenty-two civilian dentists have been cleared by the military's dental insurance company to treat military personnel. A list will be provided once this plan goes into effect.
"With 22 health care providers outside your gate, the need for daily dental treatment, we feel, can be handled by those 22 providers," he said.
Because Barstow enjoys a Dental Health Index of 95 percent, this seems like a good idea for the area.
"What that means is that 95 percent of the active duty population requires no dental treatment, it is just a matter of annual exams," said Taylor.
The lack of need for dental treatment has caused Barstow to be the target of the new plan. The doors of the dental clinic will not be closed permanently. Lt. Scott Johnson, officer in charge, Branch Dental Clinic Barstow, will no longer reside in Barstow but will make monthly trips to the clinic to meet the needs of base personnel, said Taylor. A dental technician will remain here to schedule those appointments.
"We feel this is a better way to utilize our resources," Taylor said.
There is no projected timeline of events for when these changes will occur as of yet.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for medical personnel to explain the upcoming changes to the medical clinic.
In an effort to increase adherence to ACE, an acronym that stands for convenient access, great customer service and an inviting environment, the Naval Hospital has implemented some changes to its facilities, said Nichols. None of which affect Barstow.
And though no immediate changes were addressed for MCLB, the clinic's closure was covered.
There have been rumors that the medical clinic will also go away in 2010, in response Nichols said, "As the commander of Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton and the Branch Medical Clinic here, there is no intention to change one iota of services at MCLB Barstow."