On Jan. 22, 2022, the San Antonio market will be deploying a new electronic health record (EHR) system called MHS GENESIS. This system will be a significant improvement in our ability to care for you across the entire continuum of care.

As with any new technology, it will take time for our healthcare professionals to learn how to implement and navigate the system. This focus on training will significantly decrease the number of available appointments and will result in longer than routine wait times for appointments and for services such as pharmacy, lab and radiology. We anticipate the most significant impact to be in Jan, as we ramp up for implementation, and Feb, as we overcome some of the hurdles after implementation.

In the meantime, if you are in need of a primary or specialty care appointment between December and January, please make your appointment soon to avoid a delays during the MHS GENESIS transition. Contact your Primary Care Team to issue prescription refills as needed or look into using the mail-order pharmacy service (https://www.tricare.mil/homedelivery <https://www.tricare.mil/homedelivery>), which includes convenient home delivery.

Additionally, we have partnered with our Managed Care Support Contractor (Humana Military) to assist us in providing as much access to care as possible. They have developed a team of preferred community-based Urgent Care Centers and Primary Care providers you can access during the months of January and February, without a referral, for any acute, urgent, or episodic care needs. The Consult Appointment Management Office (CAMO) will serve as your one-stop contact for same-day appointments, if available, or for assistance with authorized network care. Call 210-916-9900. Please keep in mind that a referral is still needed for specialty care that’s been deferred to the network.

During this time of transition, and to ensure better continuity, we ask that you continue to book your follow-ups for chronic or complex care needs and for health maintenance (i.e. preventive screening) in your assigned military primary care clinic.

We will be assessing the situation daily and will open additional appointments as able throughout implementation. We appreciate your patience as we work to improve our ability to coordinate and provide care for you!

For more info visit https://www.health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/MHS-Transformation/MHS-GENESIS.