NAF Atsugi opens health clinic

Photo By Seaman Ryan Greene | 150806-N-EI558-122 NAVAL AIR FACILITY ATSUGI, Japan (August 6, 2015) – Lt. Adam Katz, of U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka Branch Health Clinic (BHC) Atsugi, explains the value of tools now available to the clinic staff during the grand opening tour. BHC Atsugi has undergone an 11-month renovation and upgrade period modernizing almost every part of the existing facility in addition to adding more patient rooms and other spaces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ryan G. Greene/Released)  

NAF ATSUGI, JAPAN

08.06.2015

Story by Seaman Ryan Greene 

Naval Air Facility Atsugi

NAVAL AIR FACILITY ATSUGI, Japan -- Aug. 6 marked the official completion of the Navy Medicine West facility, U.S. Navy Branch Health Clinic (BHC) Atsugi, Japan renovations.

BHC Atsugi Officer in Charge Cmdr. Alex Dagnachew welcomed everyone to the ribbon-cutting ceremony and thanked the personnel responsible for the renovated facility.

“The ultimate goal is to improve the patient experience by creating a more comfortable and safe environment for patients to receive their care,” Dagnachew said. “We used a complex 4-phase approach that included lab, pharmacy, audiology, radiology and dental. Each department extended their hours to ensure continuity of care, while still maintaining the highest patient satisfaction and medical readiness in the enterprise.”

At the end of the renovation, BHC Atsugi Facility Manager Lt. Brian Desiderio had a few words to say in regards to the overall goals of the renovation.

“The idea of upgrading the clinic is to ultimately improve the patient experience,” Desiderio said. “Our efforts over the course of this renovation have amplified the Commanding Officer of United States Naval Hospital (USNH) Yokosuka’s Sailing Instruction to put the patient on a pedestal by creating a more comfortable and safer environment for patients to receive their care.“


The ribbon-cutting concluded an 11-month transition into the future of navy medicine and commitment to the U.S. Navy Medicine motto: World Class Care Anywhere, Anytime, Desiderio added.

“The $3.5 million renovation provides a modernized approach to health care and exemplifies all that BHC Atsugi has to offer the 6,300 plus beneficiaries aboard NAF Atsugi,” said Desiderio. “The main clinic building (Bldg. 21) was originally completed in 1988, making this renovation an intricate process to remodel and revamp the way BHC has conducted patient care.

The renovation included the addition of four patient exam rooms to provide more efficient patient care and the relocation of ancillary services such as Occupational Health, Periodic Health Assessments and Optometry to provide easier access to care and primary care manager continuity. Other necessary upgrades included the placement of new fire alarm systems, replacing the previous sprinkler system and upgrading the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system to provide better environmental comfort for the patients.

Dental care was upgraded by replacing vacuum pumps and a new dental compressor, which has decreased patient wait time and ensures the dental clinic is running at its peak throughout the day.

The replacement of plumbing systems and asbestos abatement, along with updated electrical wiring, are some of the less visible aspects of the renovation that were vital to enhancing the safety and care of patients.

“By supporting the largest naval air facility in the Pacific, BHC Atsugi plays a key role in ensuring all squadrons and tenant commands aboard NAF Atsugi are healthy and capable of being mission ready at all times,” Dagnachew added. “With BHC Atsugi’s upgrade, we want to exemplify our dedication to improving patient satisfaction and to add an overall increase in patient health to encouraging NAF Atsugi’s beneficiaries to return back to us for their future health care needs.”

• Date Taken: 08.06.2015
• Date Posted: 08.06.2015 01:06
• Story ID: 172299
• Location: NAF ATSUGI, JP