Hanscom Clinic: active duty ‘sick status,’ clinic closure procedures

  • Published
  • By Capt. Travis Ingrodi
  • 66th Medical Group Practice manager
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. --  The winter months tend to bring the sniffles, but not necessarily a trip to the clinic for active-duty servicemembers. 

The 66th Medical Group has set up special procedures for active-duty servicemembers to obtain medical care during the cold and flu season. 

Active-duty servicemembers who are feeling under the weather should contact their supervisors. Most colds and the flu are viral, and the best remedies are rest and drinking a lot of water -- one quart every three hours. 

Per Air Force Instruction 36-3003, "Military Leave Program," supervisors may grant a member up to 24-hours of "sick status" if they are not feeling well, but do not feel immediate medical attention is required. 

The 66th Medical Group encourages active-duty members and their supervisors to utilize the 24 hours of "sick status" when immediate medical attention is not needed.
After the initial 24 hours, members must call the Hanscom Appointment Line at (888) 628-9633 and request a telephone consultation with their Primary Care Manager. The active-duty member's medical team will contact them and determine whether a visit to the clinic is needed. 

The 66th Medical Group does not offer walk-in sick call services; however throat culture walk-in services are available, along with pregnancy tests, throat cultures, Depo-Provera injections, weight checks, B12 shots and serial blood pressure checks, in the Family Practice Clinic from 8 to 10 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and in the Flight Medicine Clinic from 8 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 

In the case of flu symptoms, quarters may be authorized without a visit to the clinic. If a member is placed on quarters, instructions will be provided on the appropriate follow-up by the supervisor or chain of command after the quarters authorization expires. 

Quarters authorization will be coordinated with the member's commander's support staff. In the case of flu symptoms, the unit will assign a Wingman to each member on quarters status.

If the clinic closes due to weather
In the event of inclement winter weather, call the Hanscom C-O-L-D line at (781) 377-COLD before departing for a medical appointment. If the base is closed, the clinic will also be closed and appointments will automatically be cancelled. Patients will need to call the Hanscom Appointment Line at (888) 628-9633 or visit Tricare Online to reschedule their appointments. 

If emergency care is required, individuals should go to the nearest emergency room for treatment. If the base is closed and urgent care is required, call the Hanscom Appointment Line and request to speak to the On-Call Provider. The On-Call Provider will provide instructions or may authorize use of an emergency room if medically necessary. In the case of urgent care, prior authorization for emergency room services is required. 

If there is a delayed opening of the base, patients should arrive for appointments as scheduled or as soon as possible. The clinic will open for normal operations at 7:30 a.m. regardless of a delayed opening and will accommodate scheduled patients as they arrive. 

Those who are unable to keep their appointment because of the weather should call the Hanscom Appointment Line to cancel it.