AF medical facilities win TRICARE awards

WASHINGTON -- Two Air Force medical facilities received honors when the Defense Department's TRICARE Management Activity presented its annual customer satisfaction awards Jan. 26.

Awards recognize customer service excellence provided to service members and their families in 2003, TRICARE officials said.

Wilford Hall Medical Center’s 59th Medical Wing at Lackland AFB, Texas, earned the continental United States medical center award. The Air Force hospital is one of three Level 1 trauma centers in San Antonio and logs nearly 27,000 inpatient admissions and more than 1 million outpatient visits per year, said hospital officials.

Lt. Gen. (Dr.) George Peach Taylor Jr. presented the 92nd Medical Group at Fairchild AFB, Wash., with the Air Force Surgeon General's Award in recognition of excellence in mission support to the wing, stellar customer service and patient-satisfaction results.

"Some of the reasons our clinic was selected are because of our outstanding inspection results, our excellent medical readiness procedures and our overall high customer-satisfaction ratings," said Lt. Col. David Williams, commander of the 92nd Medical Operation Squadron.

Fairchild AFB’s clinic averages 39,000 patient visits per year, Williams said.