Health Care

The 7th Medical Group is an outpatient clinic that serves over 25,000 beneficiaries. The 7th Medical Group does not have an emergency room, but Hendrick Medical Center and Abilene Regional Medical Center do have emergency rooms. Abilene has a continuum of care from a pediatric clinic at Abilene Regional to a women's center at Hendrick Medical Center. Abilene also has a cancer center, Texas Rehabilitation and the Betty Hardwick Mental Health Clinic.

Important contact information:

• Hendrick Health System is located at 1242 N. 19th St., Abilene, TX, or phone 325-670-2000.
• Abilene Regional Medical Center is located at 6250 US Highway 83, Abilene, TX, or phone 325-428-1000 or 325-695-9900.
• Reach TRICARE online or by phone at 800-444-5445.
• For 7th Medical Group appointments, please call 325-696-4677.

Check-in procedures for the 7th Medical Group during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Patients can now check in inside. Use the entry control point in the horseshoe and check in at the front desk.

Services available for the 7th Medical Group during the COVID-19 pandemic:

(Current as of June, 10, 2020. Services are subject to change.)

COVID-19 screening is still available with new hours: Monday through Friday from 2:30-4:30 p.m. For more information, please call the 7th Medical Group hotline at 325-696-4677, option 6.

Aerospace Physiology

• Physiology training for aircrew members/jumpers (maximum of five people)

Bioenvironmental Engineering

• Gas mask fit test for deployers (mission essential)
• Water sampling (state compliance)
• Respiratory fit test (patients to bring own respirators)
• Pregnancy profiles
• Category one assessments

Dental

• Treatments necessary for deployments (class three)
• Annual dental exams
• Emergency care (such as dental pain)

Diet Clinic

Please call 325-696-1636 for more information.

Exceptional Family Member Program

Please call 325-696-8146 for more information.

Laboratory and Radiology

Urgent and routine services are available.

Mental Health

• Individual counseling for high interest clients in person
• Limited individual counseling for established clients offered virtually
• Limited medication management for established clients offered virtually
• Acute crisis walk-ins
• Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics for short-notice deployments

Medical Evaluation Board

For assistance, please call 325-696-8794.

Records, Patient Travel, Referral Management

In- and out-processing and all routine services are available. Please email all requests to usaf.dyess-tx.7-mdg.mbx.patient-admin@mail.mil

Optometry

Limited services are available. Please call 325- 696-4677 and choose the option for optometry.

Pharmacy

The pharmacy is back to normal hours for all beneficiaries. Services are for curbside pickup only. Hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Prescription orders and pickup:

Step 1:

To pick up prescriptions from 7th Medical Group and downtown – Prescriptions are automatically activated and ready for pick up within two duty days. If you need it sooner, please call 325-696-4677, select option 5, then select option 1 to activate.

Step 2:

Upon arrival at the Medical Group, please text 325-260-5003 with your name, date of birth, and parking spot number. Your medications will be delivered to your vehicle.

Physical Therapy

Operations are back at the gym. PT accepts no walk-ins. Please call or email usaf.dyess-tx.7-mdg.mbx.physical-therapy@mail.mil for an appointment.

Primary Care (Warrior Operational Medicine, Flight Medicine, Family Health, Pediatrics)

• Virtual and face-to-face routine appointments (at provider’s discretion)
• Nurse triage
• Periodic health assessments
• Return to fly

Public Health

• COVID-19 information
• Deployment and processing
• Audiology exams
• Travel health consultations
• Shop visits

Immunizations

• Available for deployment, temporary duty travel, permanent change of station, individual medical readiness, employment and college
• Available for children (Please schedule vaccinations through the pediatric clinic)

Women’s Health

• Virtual and face-to-face routine appointments (at provider’s discretion)

When you move, TRICARE moves with you. No matter where you go in the world, TRICARE is there before, during and when you get to your next duty station.

There are steps you need to take to make sure changes to your TRICARE coverage go smoothly. Understand that when you move, you may have to use a different TRICARE option. Visit TRICARE Moving to learn more.

Before you move, you should take care of any routine medical needs, including immunizations, and fill your prescriptions so you have enough while traveling. If you need care during your move, visit TRICARE Getting Care When Traveling to learn what to do.

Filling prescriptions while traveling

You should refill prescriptions before traveling. But if you run out of a prescription drug while traveling, visit TRICARE Filling Prescriptions When Traveling.

Getting dental care while traveling

Getting dental care while traveling depends on your location and whether you are a service member or family member.

• If you are an active-duty service member within the United States or in U.S. territories, and near a military installation, you may be able to get emergency dental care at the dental treatment facility, or DTF, if available. If not, contact the TRICARE Active Duty Dental Care Program before you see a dentist and tell the contractor about your move. You will need to get an authorization before you see a dentist. The Active Duty Dental Care Program will work with you, so you can get care from a local network dentist.
• If you are an active-duty service member at an overseas location, call the TRICARE overseas regional call center to get authorization before you see a civilian dentist.
• If you are an active-duty family member within the United States, in U.S. territories or at an overseas location, you can find out if any nearby military dental treatment facility treats active-duty family members. If you're enrolled in the TRICARE dental program, call the TRICARE dental program contractor or visit their website to find a provider. You will need to get an authorization before you see the dentist.

With permanent change of station orders, ask for a copy of your medical and dental records from your military treatment facility and the dental treatment facility. Do this at least one month before your PCS date. The MTF should also transfer a copy of your record and any family records to your new duty station or you may be able to hand carry them to your new duty station.

If you want someone else to be able to get medical or dental information on you or your family while you are moving, you need to complete a DD Form 2870, "Authorization for Disclosure of Medical or Dental Information."

For more information on getting copies of medical records, visit TRICARE Request Copies of Medical Records.

Medical Care

The 7th Medical Group, located at 697 Louisiana Drive, is the designated primary place of care for all active-duty members and dependents enrolled in TRICARE Prime. The 7th Medical Group is an outpatient clinic with some ancillary services to include pharmacy, radiology and laboratory. The 7th Medical Group serves approximately 25,000 beneficiaries with 9,000 members enrolled in our primary care clinics. Priority for medical appointments is given to active-duty military personnel and TRICARE Prime beneficiaries. Dental, physical therapy, mental health and optometry are available to active-duty military personnel. Family members seeking dental appointments may be seen on a space-available basis only.

The 7th Medical Group does not have an emergency room. Emergency conditions are those that require immediate medical treatment (potential loss of life, limb or sight). If you or one of your family members needs emergency care, go to the nearest hospital or nearest facility with emergency services or call 911 immediately. The following hospitals have emergency rooms:

Abilene Regional Medical Center: phone 325-428-1000; 6250 Highway 83-84, Abilene, TX 79606

Hendricks Medical Center: phone 325-670-2000; 1900 Pine Street, Abilene, TX 79601

Hendricks Emergency Care Center South: phone 325-307-6351; 5302 Buffalo Gap Road, Abilene, TX 79606

Appointments

All patients can call the appointment line at 325-696-4677 from 7 a.m.-4 p.m. or visit the TRICARE website 24 hours a day, seven days a week to make an appointment online. Active-duty personnel will be seen at the 7th Medical Group for acute conditions within 24 hours. When there are no appointments available within 24 hours for acute conditions, a referral will be authorized to an approved urgent care clinic. Non-active-duty patients will also be seen within 24 hours unless there are no available appointments, at which time they will be recommended to visit an approved urgent care clinic. Routine appointments will be scheduled and seen within seven calendar days but will not exceed 30 days.

Active-duty beneficiaries enrolled to the 7th Medical Group must call the appointment line during duty hours or the Nurse Advice Line after duty hours to receive authorization to be seen in the downtown network for urgent care. Non-active-duty beneficiaries do not need authorization for urgent care visits. The following are TRICARE-approved urgent care clinics in Abilene:

Dr. J. Express Care: 3802 Catclaw Drive; phone 325-690-1500

Abilene Diagnostic Walk-in Clinic: 1665 Antilley Road, Suite 120; phone 325-793-5148

Affordacare Urgent Care Clinic: 4009 Ridgemont Drive; phone 325-232-8830

Nurse Advice Line

When the 7th Medical Group appointment line is closed (Monday through Friday after 4 p.m. and Saturdays, Sundays and federal holidays), TRICARE Prime beneficiaries can call the NAL at 800-874-2273, option 1. The NAL is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. NAL registered nurses ask a series of questions about a caller's specific health concern and advise the caller as to when and how to seek care for an urgent problem or give instruction on selfcare at home. If urgent care is not warranted, the caller will be referred back to the medical treatment facility to seek an appointment with their primary care manager during duty hours.

Self-Initiated Care Kits

Kits are available for TRICARE beneficiaries with pharmacy privileges. The kit provides over-the-counter medications at no cost for minor illnesses. Beneficiaries are allowed three medications per person every 30 days.

Additional Information:

• Join the 7th Medical Group on Facebook.
• Visit the 7th Medical Group website.
• Send secure messages to your healthcare team 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Visit TRICARE online. Utilize TOL to view laboratory and radiology results, refill medications and schedule appointments.