Vets health-care plan at fort clinic to continue
Military doctors to be added to staff of Patterson clinic
BY SUE MORGAN
Staff Writer

OCEANPORT - Military veterans serviced by TRICARE-Plus, a health-care provider, will still be able to see physicians at Fort Monmouth's Patterson Army Health Clinic, according to a press release issued by the U.S. Army last week.

Despite a prior announcement that TRICARE-Plus beneficiaries, many of them military veterans, would have to seek civilian health-care providers as of Oct. 15, the Army's North Atlantic Regional Medical Command (NARMC) has agreed to add more physicians to those currently serving the health-care provider's beneficiaries at the Patterson clinic, the Aug. 31 release states.

Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, commander of NARMC, indicated that military physicians from that command will supplement the doctors at Patterson for now.

"The Army doctor will remain on station until a more long-term solution can be implemented," Weightman said in the release issued through Fort Monmouth's public information office.

"The North Atlantic Regional Medical Command is committed to providing the highest quality of health care to our eligible beneficiaries," Weightman said.

"We were able to leverage our resources so that we could continue serving the TRICARE-Plus population along with the other enrollees at Patterson Army Health Clinic."

Initially, the Army had sent letters dated Aug. 15 to TRICARE-Plus subscribers instructing them to seek civilian primary care physicians due to a reduction in staff at Patterson.

Retired Coast Guard Capt. Donald Burry, of Colts Neck, husband of Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian G. Burry and a TRICARE-Plus client, received one of those letters.

The letter advised beneficiaries that the shift of TRICARE-Plus clients to civilian physician services would begin Sept. 1.

Lillian Burry, a member of the Fort Monmouth Economic Planning Revitalization Authority, brought a copy of the letter, written by Patterson Commanding Officer Col. Don Spears, to the panel's last meeting on Aug. 30, the day before the Army's latest announcement.

Burry asked the authority to address the TRICARE-Plus situation during its next meeting, scheduled for Sept. 20.

The letter had gone out to 1,800 patients who use Patterson's services through TRICARE-Plus, according to U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone (D-6) and Rush Holt (D-12).

Both congressmen, after learning of NARMC's decision to add military physicians to the Patterson staff, praised the reversal of the original decision in a press release last Thursday.

On Aug. 22, the two legislators had criticized the Pentagon's decision to cut back military physician staffing at Patterson.

"The Pentagon should be commended for rescinding this plan, and I look forward to working with them in the coming months to ensure Patterson remains open well beyond 2011 when Fort Monmouth is scheduled to close," Pallone said.

Holt agreed.

"I am pleased that this ill-advised plan to deny services to New Jersey military retirees appears to have been rescinded," Holt said.

"The Patterson Army Health Clinic should remain open so that retirees can access the quality health care that they have earned," he added.

Army officials have stated that Patterson will be shuttered in 2010, as part of the Pentagon's overall plan to shutdown Fort Monmouth the following year under its Base Realignment and Closure process.

About 23,000 military retirees are serviced by the clinic, according to Fort Monmouth officials. The military has recommended that those clients use medical services available at Fort Dix and other installations once the clinic is closed.