April 08, 2025 | By Maria Christina Yager, Munson Army Health Center Public Affairs
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — Representatives from Munson Army Health Center and the Patient and Family Partnership council recently discussed adding an “after hours” primary care service on Fort Leavenworth to improve access for busy military families. “The struggle to balance work, family, and healthcare is a familiar one for many, and offering ‘after-hours’ appointments can be a potential solution to improve patient access,” said Tim Stevens, deputy to the commander for Quality and Safety at Munson Army Health Center and Patient and Family Partnership Council chairman, “But it’s not a decision to be taken lightly.”
Stevens added that implementing extended hours presents a complex equation with both benefits and drawbacks that must be carefully considered.
Council members cited school, extracurricular activities and shift work for reasons to justify extended hours.
Extending primary care hours requires coordination with other sections of the health center. In addition to having a primary care team and front desk support, ancillary services like pharmacy, lab, radiology and immunizations may be required, and even security and facilities. “Primary care is the largest department at Munson and may have more staff flexibility,” said Stevens. “Smaller sections like radiology and lab have fewer staff which can make it more challenging to cover down, but we are looking at different ways to see if we can make it work.”
A survey from primary care revealed equal interest in earlier hours, later hours, and current hours, which are weekdays from 7:40 a.m. to 4 p.m.
With the PFPC’s input, Stevens said that Munson was developing a pilot program to extend hours one day a week until 6:30 p.m., beginning in the end of summer or early fall. “During the summer months when school is out and many families are transferring to or from Fort Leavenworth, we typically see a dip in demand for care, so we don’t think it would be the best time to pilot after hours care,” said Stevens. “But come August, when school starts and families are settled in, we think that will be a good time to test it out.”
The PFPC captures voices and insights of patients and families to improve the patient care experience. The council meets quarterly and is composed of volunteers who represent the interests of patients who receive care from Munson.
If you have general thoughts or ideas you’d like to share with the PFPC council, please submit them via e-mail to usarmy.leavenworth.medcom-mahc.mbx.patient-advocate@health.mil. Please do not send protected health information.
