Source: United States Navy (Medical)
The Adult Medical Care Clinic (AMCC) at Naval Medical Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Twentynine Palms has implemented an innovative approach to improving medical care accessibility and operational readiness through its Sick Call Screener Course (SCSC).
The AMCC provides acute and primary care services to the Marine Corps Communication-Electronics School (MCCES) and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) headquarters units, supporting a population of 13,000 to 15,000 MCCES students. The clinic offers services ranging from acute care and medical readiness to laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, and physical therapy.
“On a typical morning, our first challenge is managing anywhere between 60 to 80 acute sick call patients,” said Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Matthew Ritchie, AMCC’s leading chief petty officer. “Because of this expected daily demand, we have made it a point to deliver huge improvements in clinic operations. We are proud to say that we have reduced average appointment wait times from six weeks to just seven days.”
One of the key contributors to this improvement is leveraging the Sick Call Screener Course, a Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) program designed to equip hospital corpsmen with the necessary medical knowledge, skills, and abilities to serve in operational environments. The course enhances patient care accessibility by training corpsmen to act as provider extenders.
“The primary creators of the course at this command are LCDR Bristow, HM1 Smith, and myself,” Ritchie said. “It was developed to increase hospital corpsmen’s medical proficiency while also improving access to care.”
Sick Call Screeners play a critical role in the AMCC’s operations by triaging acute patients and conducting examinations under the supervision of healthcare providers. Their presence has significantly improved efficiency, allowing for quicker evaluations and streamlined medical services.
“This program has increased our access to care and allowed us to support mission readiness more effectively,” Ritchie added. “Since its implementation, we’ve seen a substantial decrease in appointment backlog, allowing Marines to receive timely medical attention and return to duty faster.”
As the AMCC continues upskilling its corpsmen, the success of the Sick Call Screener Course serves as a testament to the Navy Medicine’s commitment to enhancing operational medical readiness and keeping the warfighter in the fight. By empowering hospital corpsmen with critical medical skills, NMRTC Twentynine Palms is ensuring that Marines receive the care they need while maintaining peak mission effectiveness.