Appendix_D_6_MDG_Policy_Letter__No_Show_Policy.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

6TH AIR MOBILITY WING (AMC)

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, FLORIDA

1 July 2014

MEMORANDUM FOR 6 MDG BENEFICIARIES

FROM: 6 MDG/CC

SUBJECT: Policy Letter #2014-001, Appointment Cancellations, No-Shows and Late Arrivals

This policy letter standardizes the 6th Medical Group’s cancellation, no-show and late arrival policy for scheduled appointments for all enrolled patients IAW AFI 44-176 Access to the Care Continuum. The Mental Health Clinic follows guidance IAW AFI 44-172 and the Dental Clinic has additional separate guidance. The following is the policy for all other clinical areas.

1. A patient cancellation is when a patient with a scheduled appointment notifies the MTF in sufficient time for the MTF to schedule another patient into the appointment slot.

a. The MTF will educate and market the appointment cancellation procedures to our beneficiaries.

b. Appointment cancellation phone numbers and process will be found on MTF websites, appointment line messages and base information mediums.

2. A patient will be designated as a “NO-SHOW” (at the end of the duty day) in CHCS for medical appointments when he/she:

a. Fails to present to the clinic for a scheduled appointment at any time on the day of the appointment. Provider/staff will follow-up on all No-Show patients to ensure patient wellness and to comply with Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) guidelines and will annotate in the medical record the attempt to contact the patient.

b. Fails to cancel the appointment within sufficient time for the MTF to schedule another patient into the appointment slot.

3. Any patient who arrives at the clinic more than 10 minutes after the scheduled appointment time is considered a LATE ARRIVAL and will be handled as follows:

a. The team will triage the patient and inform the provider of possible courses of action depending on the acuity of the patient.

b. If the course of action is to see the patient within that duty day and the patient is seen, the appointment will be noted as “KEPT” in CHCS. Should the patient be unable to wait, the patient will be offered an opportunity to reschedule and the original appointment will be noted as “NO SHOW” in CHCS.

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c. A patient who is discovered to have left without being seen and without explanation to the clinic staff, will be contacted in the same manner as patients who fail to present to the clinic and will be annotated as “LEFT WITHOUT BEING SEEN” (LWOBS). Provider/staff will annotate in the medical record the patient left without being seen and the attempt(s) to contact the patient.

4. A patient who arrives on time for their scheduled appointment and if informed the provider is running behind, the patient will be:

a. Offered to wait to be seen and the appointment will be noted as KEPT in CHCS.

b. Offered to reschedule the appointment and the original appointment will be noted as “PATIENT CANCELLED” in CHCS.

5. The OPR for the policy is the Group Practice Manger at 827-9210/9745 and for the Dental Squadron, the NCOIC, Records and Reception at 827-9400.

KEVIN M. FRANKE, Col, USAF, MSC Commander, 6th Medical Group

Attachment:

Dental Services and Appointment Policy

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

6TH AIR MOBILITY WING (AMC)

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, FLORIDA

29 May 2014

MEMORANDUM FOR PATIENTS OF THE 6TH DENTAL SQUADRON

FROM: 6 DS/CC

SUBJECT: Dental Services and Appointment Policy

1. Welcome to MacDill AFB and the 6th Dental Squadron Clinic! We are committed to delivering world-class treatment for you…our Total Force patients. The dental services we provide for you may consist of emergency, routine, and/or comprehensive care. Our goal is to help you achieve and maintain oral health and ensure your mission readiness!

2. In the coordination of your dental care, valid identification and/or administrative documentation will be needed to support receiving dental services. Reservists and Guardsman need to be on Active duty status to schedule and receive routine dental services. That period of activation can limit our ability to offer some dental services for your treatment plan. During times when our availability is limited, services may be referred to our civilian network providers via the Active Duty Dental Plan (ADDP). This option ensures we have a way to offer expedient care for you and we coordinate this through our squadron.

3. Our squadron works with your unit chains-of-command via First Sergeants or their equivalents to optimize dental appointment usage. It is in your best interest to make every effort to arrive on time for scheduled appointments. Failure to show for dental appointments wastes valuable time and money. It also decreases appointment availability for other patients. When a broken appointment occurs under the following circumstances, it will be followed by contact with the patient’s chain-of-command:

a. Failure to show for your dental appointment without contacting the clinic.

b. Requesting a same day appointment cancellation.

c. Arriving 10 minutes or later for an appointment, necessitating rescheduling. Depending on type and length of the scheduled appointment, if we have enough time to provide you meaningful treatment, then you will be seen. Otherwise, a broken appointment would occur.

4. For any questions or concerns with these policies please consult your dentist or contact any of our front desk personnel at 813-827-9400 or DSN 651-9400.

William R. Báez, Col, USAF, DC Commander, 6th Dental Squadron

By signing below, I acknowledge that I received this welcome letter and understand the policies for broken dental appointments and access to dental services.

Member’s Signature / Date

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