BACH Frontline Personnel Make Positive First Impressions

Photo By Justin Moeller | The BACH “C” Entrance information desk is staffed by Freeman Lee, a military...... read more read more

Photo By Justin Moeller | The BACH “C” Entrance information desk is staffed by Freeman Lee, a military retiree volunteer with the Tennessee Valley Health System, who care deeply for service members and their families. Most volunteers supporting BACH and the VA TVHS are veterans, retirees, or a combination of both.  see less | View Image Page

FORT CAMPBELL, KY, UNITED STATES

05.03.2024

Courtesy Story

Blanchfield Army Community Hospital

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Where does patient care begin? For Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, care starts when patients enter the building.

Numerous questions answered, directions provided, and service is given with kindness and a smile at the hospital’s main information desk, located inside the hospital’s “A” entrance. Behind the front desk, Information Receptionist Micaela Sierra performs her duties as an information specialist and helps connect everyone to the appropriate departments or services within the hospital.

“I know that something as simple as my greeting can set the tone for not just the patient’s visit, but also the employees who work here daily,” says Sierra.

Sierra also maintains the hospital’s phone directory and monitors refrigerator temperatures for medications for BACH; Woodson Health Clinic, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois; and Occupational Health Clinic, Fort McCoy, Wisconsin from her computer terminal. She also checks in deliveries and representatives from various hospital vendors. Her position allows the Staff Duty personnel more freedom to manage Army-specific tasks during duty hours throughout the work week.

Recently BACH Health System Commander Col. Sam Preston sent an email to the extended personnel, which spans across Fort Campbell, Clarksville, Rock Island, and Fort McCoy, thanking the Administrative Professionals who serve in the role where patient care begins.

“Our front desk staff greets our patients with professionalism and kindness – you are the face of the hospital system.”

Preston continued to acknowledge the hospital administrators who do everything from mitigating disruptions to the hospital’s operations to building provider templates and tailoring to the needs of BACH patients. “Thank you for your support.”

Another high-traffic area inside BACH is the “C” entrance. This information desk is staffed by VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System volunteers, who care deeply for service members and their families. Most volunteers supporting BACH and the VA TVHS are veterans, retirees, or a combination of both.


“I started my volunteerism at the Veteran’s Administration clinic in Clarksville. I’m very familiar with information about BACH and the VA,” says Freeman Lee, a military retiree volunteer. “Problem solving plays a big part in my responsibilities. Sometimes, a patient will only remember the doctor’s name, and I have to help them find the right clinic to report to.”

Hundreds of people filter through the “C” entrance of the hospital, and while not everyone has a question, they are all welcomed to the facility by the friendly face of a volunteer who cares about them.

Deeper in the facility are several specialty clinics and service areas. The check-in desk is a common area, and the personnel behind the desk are often a patient’s first impression of the services offered by the clinic.

“For me, the front desk sets the tone for the whole visit,” says Deveda Curlin, receptionist for Radiology.

Curlin’s front desk partner Gwendolyn Jones expanded on what was meant by the tone of the visit.

“We try to be present and listen to what the patient is trying to tell us. We have to know what’s going on in the hospital and help answer any questions the patients might have, not just about our department, but about the hospital in general,” said Jones.

According to Curlin and Jones, the front desk personnel in all clinics work together to make the mission happen. Whether that means providing directions, making a quick phone call, or even running a fax to a different area, everyone helps the BACH team as a whole.

The nurses and doctors may be the ones that patients remember for leading them on a path to better health, but the front desk personnel, the greeters, and the receptionists are the ones who set the right first impression when you walk in the door. BACH leads from the front, and administrative assistants are the front image of the health system, supporting the overall vision in serving as the gold standard.

U.S. Army Story by: Staff Sgt. John Howard