Located on the corner of Blandy Ave. and Lauritsen Road, the Branch Health Clinic (BHC) at China Lake is aligned under the command of Naval Hospital Twenty-nine Palms.
BHC is dedicated to providing patient and family-centered care to China Lake's active duty and retired military and their families with the the following services:
- Family Practice/Military Medicine/Dental
- Basic Pharmacy, Laboratory and Radiology
- Routine military and dependent immunizations
- Overseas/Sea Duty/Commissioning/ROTC Screenings
- Military and Civilian Physical Exams, i.e., Occupational Health
Medical Care
BHC is designed and equipped to primarily treat general medical conditions. If specialty care, e.g., cardiology or neurology, is required, this duty station may not be recommended. If you have an ongoing medical or dental condition, you must obtain special clearance through the Overseas Screening Process before you transfer.
If a medical emergency condition develops which is beyond the scope of care provided by the clinic, the patient will be referred to Ridgecrest Regional Hospital for further evaluation and follow-on medical care.
Visual Care
Although able to assess standard visual acuity, eye care and eye wear, corrective lenses prescriptions cannot be written or filled at the clinic. Those personnel transferring to China Lake are strongly encouraged to bring extra prescription lenses. Prescription eyewear for active duty may be ordered by the clinic, but please bear in mind that it can take up to two weeks for the eyewear to arrive. Also, due to the strong ultraviolet light in the high desert, it is strongly advised to bring sunglasses designed to block ultraviolet rays. Additionally, if a member is in need of a prescription while stationed aboard NAWS, you will be referred to a local TRICARE-approved optometrist.
Medical Home Port
Under the direction of Naval Hospital Twenty-nine Palms, BHC has implemented a Medical Home Port; a patient-centered, team-oriented approach to caring for Sailors and Marines and their families. The Medical Home Port is designed specifically to improve access to care when patients need it while improving the continuity of care with their primary care manager (PCM).
The Medical Home Port model will allow patients enrolled at BHC to see the same team of providers each time they call or come in for medical appointments. In addition to the primary care manager, each team of healthcare professionals includes registered nurses, hospital corpsmen and clerks. The referral process is also now managed by a dedicated referral tracking staff that tracks patient progress with specialists and communicates closely with their PCM regarding specialty care. In the event that a patient’s primary care manager is unavailable due to, for example, deployment, a different provider on the same Medical Home Port team will provide treatment.
As BHC continues to transition into Medical Home Port practice, primary care managers may change due to the restructuring of patient panels for each provider. Parents who wish to have their entire family’s care provided by the same Medical Home Port provider may choose to do so. PCMs may be changed by a TriWest representative at the Triwest window located in the clinic.
In addition to contact by phone, patients can also now contact their health care team via a secure email messaging system called Relay Health. Contracted through Navy Medicine, Relay Health allows patients to request lab results and medication refills, access health care information, and create a health care record from the comfort of home.
Appointments
Health care is available by appointment only, but BHC will see eligible beneficiaries for urgent care on a walk-in basis. To speak to a clinical nurse about questions and/or concerns, please call (760) 939-8000.
Appointment Phone: (760) 939-8000
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