Testing the concept that primary care delivery can be tailored based on a patient’s medical needs and not “one size fits all”, the Defense Health Agency has selected the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center to pilot a year-long project that may mean changes for beneficiaries in the Central Texas Market.
CRDAMC has already begun the notification process and will soon begin realigning patients to either the Killeen or Harker Heights Medical Homes based on the level of their medical needs. The two clinics currently serve more than 13,000 enrolled patients, and while the majority of them will stay with their current clinic, there will be a significant number of moves.
After realizing that many patients only require occasional access to health care for acute problems, or routine preventive care, DHA decided it would test the medical needs concept.
Patients who don’t have chronic medical conditions and who require less frequent and more same-day acute appointments for minor illness or injury will be assigned to the Harker Heights Medical Home, while those higher acuity patients with chronic medical conditions requiring more frequent appointments will be assigned to the Killeen Medical Home.
According to Christopher Brown, clinical nurse officer-in-charge at the Harker Heights Medical Home, the target timeline to have all patients moved is early January.
“I’m hoping that our beneficiaries will understand and embrace this, because in the end, we are really hoping that this will improve the care that we deliver,” Brown said.
He adds that patients will be assigned to the medical home that best suits their circumstances based on their health risk score—calculated based on diagnoses, utilization and other factors.
While every effort will be made to keep families together, some may be separated based on the family members’ health risk scores, and Brown urges them to contact the leadership at their current home clinic to reconsider their situation if they desire to stay in the same medical home.
To contact a primary care manager, call the Killeen Medical Home at (254) 553-6002/6003, and the Harker Heights Medical Home at (254) 245-4681 or 535-4563.
Throughout the test period, CRDAMC will still offer both virtual and traditional face-to-face appointments to meet patients’ needs. Both medical homes will continue to provide their enrolled beneficiaries with pharmacy and laboratory services.  
CRDAMC’s goal remains the same—to provide the highest quality health care, in the right place, at the right time.
“Patients and families will still be receiving highly personal care to meet all their health care needs,” said Capt. Hillary Darrow, medical director at the Killeen Medical Home.
Additional information can be found at https://darnall.tricare.mil under the “Clinics” tab. Select your clinic and look for the heading, “Acuity-based Pilot Initiative FAQ”.