New Guidebook Helps Puget Sound Beneficiaries Navigate Their Health Care

MADIGAN ARMY MEDICAL CENTER, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. -- Great news for military communities and TRICARE beneficiaries across the Pacific Northwest: navigating military healthcare just got easier. The recently released Puget Sound Patient Guidebook is a comprehensive resource designed for local TRICARE beneficiaries throughout the region. Inside, beneficiaries can find information on enrolling in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, understanding TRICARE plans, locating a Military Treatment Facility (MTF), scheduling appointments, accessing online services, ordering medications and more.

The Puget Sound Military Health System includes multiple military medical and dental facilities that support beneficiaries across Washington State and surrounding installations in the Pacific Northwest. Anchored by Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Naval Health Clinic Oak Harbor (NHCOH) at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, and Bremerton Naval Hospital at Naval Station Bremerton, Wash., the network provides primary care, specialty services and operational medical support to service members, families and retirees throughout the region. Madigan also serves as a major training platform for military medical professionals and supports operational readiness across the Pacific theater.

“The Puget Sound Patient Guidebook is an important resource for our warfighters, retirees and military families, helping connect beneficiaries with the care and support they need to remain healthy and ready,” said Col. James "Jimmy" Watts, director of Madigan Army Medical Center. “By improving access to information and services across the region, the guidebook supports medical readiness, strengthens our force and ensures beneficiaries can confidently navigate their health care wherever they serve.”

Thousands of military and civilian health care professionals across the Pacific Northwest support a large beneficiary population, including active-duty service members, retirees and military families who rely on both military treatment facilities and the civilian TRICARE network for care.

“What’s really ideal about this guide - online link or hard copy - is the sheer amount of compiled information which provides a handy overlapping guide of all military health system services for all our patients, whether active duty, retiree or dependent. A beneficiary with their primary care provider at NHB might need specialty medical care from Madigan and in these pages are detailed insight on how to access that need, such as starting and ending with the Madigan and NHB Shuttle Service,” explained Mr. Douglas H Stutz, Naval Hospital Bremerton Public Affairs Officer.

This one resource that patients can access also includes information about laboratory and radiology services, women's health, mental health resources, pharmacy services, patient rights and tips for preparing for medical appointments.

"This guide reflects our commitment to improving the patient experience, enhancing communication and ensuring every member of our military community has the tools needed to make informed decisions about their health care," said U.S. Navy Capt. Mark Lund, director of Naval Health Clinic Oak Harbor. "Our patients should not have to search across multiple websites, phone numbers and facilities to find the information they need. The Puget Sound Patient Guide puts those resources in one place, making it easier for service members, families, retirees and beneficiaries to connect with the right care at the right time.

Military health care provided through TRICARE is not only an earned benefit for service members and their families, but also a key component of force readiness. The most up-to-date edition of the Puget Sound Patient Guidebook is available online here: https://www.dha.mil/Puget