JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA – The McChord Clinic is advancing its commitment to innovation and readiness with the introduction of ambient listening technology. This technology is designed to enhance the quality of care for service members and all beneficiaries by generating patient notes during appointments.
To test this technology, the Defense Health Agency (DHA) conducted a six-week ambient listening study from October 31 to December 11, 2025. Madigan Army Medical Center was one of four military treatment facilities selected to participate in the study, which also included Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, and Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center. A broad range of feedback, gathered from the initial study, engagement sessions, town hall meetings, and site visits, consistently resulted in positive results.
Ambient listening technology officially launched for providers in the McChord Clinic on February 9, 2026.
This initiative directly supports DHA’s core mission in advancing the readiness of the medical force and warfighters. DHA is committed to leveraging new tools and technologies that allow providers to focus on what matters most: the patient.
Ambient listening technology is a key part of DHA’s strategy to improve patient outcomes and continuously enhance the safe and effective delivery of care across the enterprise.
Ambient listening was designed with patient transparency and security as top priorities. All audio and generated documentation are protected using secure, cyber compliant controls to ensure confidentiality of the patient’s health information. The process ensures patients remain in control of their healthcare experience.
Before ambient listening technology can be used in an appointment, the patient must provide explicit verbal consent. While the provider and patient have a natural conversation about health concerns, the tool drafts a clinical note based on the conversation. After the appointment, the provider reviews the drafted note for accuracy and makes any necessary edits. After the provider’s review, the finalized note is added to the patient’s electronic health record in the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal for timely and transparent access.
Ambient listening technology enhances the patient’s experience by alleviating the administrative burden on providers and shifting the focus on patient care. This new technology ensures no critical information is missing and all the patient’s concerns are addressed leading to more accurate and complete medical records.
McChord Clinic Certified Family Nurse Practitioner Jennifer Reffeor shared her experience with the new technology. Reffeor stated, “Ambient listening has been amazing. It allows me to spend more time with my patients and know that our conversations -- including history, current problems, plan of care, and teaching moments -- are all captured using this innovative tool. It also speeds up my charting time so that I do not have to stay late in the workday.”
U.S. Air Force Major Sean Mallon, Family Medicine Physician and Chief Officer of McChord’s Warrior Operational Medicine Clinic, noted the significant impact on his work and patient interactions. Mallon stated, “Ambient AI technology has changed my practice of medicine and improved my work/life balance as well as my productivity in other tasks related to my job. It also has helped improve patient relationships as technology allows me to engage more directly instead of having to transcribe as I go. It has become near indispensable in my clinic.”
| Date Taken: |
03.30.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
03.30.2026 14:06 |
| Story ID: |
561566 |
| Location: |
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, US |
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