Kadena AB  Health

At Kadena AB, more than 70 medical and dental providers care for nearly 800 patients every day. The 18th Medical Operations Squadron provides family medicine, ambulance and comprehensive counseling services. Family Practice may be reached by calling 011-81-6117-30-4817 or DSN 315-630-4817.

Emergent care and specialty care is provided by the United States Naval Hospital Okinawa (USNHO) Camp Foster and it serves the entire DoD Community on Okinawa. Camp Foster is located about 15 minutes south of Kadena. For more information please call (USNHO) at DSN 315-646-7555 or COMM: 011-81-611-746-5555. Also, click here for more information.

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 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 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 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 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 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 Request Copies of Medical Records.

Medical Care

At Kadena AB, more than 70 medical and dental providers care for nearly 800 patients every day. Specific services include an acute care clinic, family practice, pediatrics, prenatal, women's health, optometry, mental health (including adult and child psychiatry), physiological training, hyperbaric medicine and a health and wellness center. Four squadrons with more than 500 people comprise the medical group.

The 18th Medical Operations Squadron provides family medicine, ambulance and comprehensive counseling services. The Family Medicine team assigns its provider staff to wing units promoting continuity of services. Squadron members also staff a 14-bed neonatal intensive care unit, located at the U.S. Naval Hospital on Camp Foster.
 
Flight Medicine hours are Monday - Friday 0700 until 1600. Active Duty Sick Call hours are 0700 - 0800 and 1300 - 1400 daily. No sick call on the third Thursday of each month. No sick call on Wed afternoons.

Flight Medicine may be reached by calling DSN 315-630-4817, opt.1 then opt. 3. Flight Medicine services include:

• Routine outpatient medical care for flyers, air traffic controllers, special operational duty personnel and their families.
• Ambulance support for flight line/flying operations, and base search and rescue mission.
• Medical examinations and preventive health assessments in accordance with Air Force and Department of Defense directive on all active duty personnel.
• Process medical clearances for overseas duty, separation, retirement or retraining.

Family Practice Clinic hours are 0730 - 1630 daily. Family Practice may be reached by calling DSN 315-630-4817, opt. 1 then opt. 1 between the hours of 0630 - 1630.

For all other departments under the 18th Medical Group, please call DSN 315-630-4817 and follow the prompts.

Emergency Care 

United States Naval Hospital Okinawa (Camp Foster, bldg. 6000) handles all emergent health care needs for the entire DoD community. The U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa is the largest overseas hospital in the United States Navy. They provide professional health care for the more than 55,000 beneficiaries on Okinawa and referral services for nearly 175,000 beneficiaries distributed around the Pacific.

U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa’s 24-hour Information Desk can be reached at DSN 315-643-7555 (from off-base: Dial the operator number - 098-911-5111 and then 643-7555) or commercial telephone 01181-611-743-7555.  More information can be found in the Patient Handbook.

Health and Wellness Center (HAWC)

HAWCs are dedicated to prevention and health enhancement. They are "one-stop" shops for health and fitness assessment, awareness, prevention programs and exercise prescriptions.

The HAWC is located in Building 428 across from Schilling Community Center and is open to active duty, retirees, reservists, military dependents and base-employed civilians. Certain programs are limited to active duty members. Customers must pre-register all programs and activities by calling the HAWC at DSN 315-634-2499.

The Center is open Monday through Friday, 0730 until 1600.

The HAWC offers a variety of services to include:

• Tobacco Cessation ("Quit Smart" Program) -- Provides education on the dangers associated with the use of tobacco and the benefits gained from cessation. Creates an environment that supports abstinence, discourages use of tobacco products, and promotes a healthy work environment. Nicotine replacement therapy and/or medication is available for eligible participants. Day and evening classes are available.
• Mandatory Intervention Programs -- IAW AFI 10-248, these are classes mandated for active duty members. The attendees are scheduled by their units. The goal of the classes is to improve the member's fitness scores.
• Healthy Heart Class (Cholesterol and Blood Pressure Education)-- Focuses on behavioral and lifestyle changes to obtain and maintain a healthy cholesterol level and blood pressure. Self-help education pamphlets and/or educational briefs are available on a walk-in basis. Education also includes blood pressure screening. Cholesterol screenings may be scheduled on request.
• Sensible Weight -- Provides education about weight management factors that influence the balance of nutrition and health. The program will help identify the impact of exercise and weight management and their relationship to health and disease.

Women, Infant, and Children Overseas Program, Okinawa, Japan

WIC Overseas is a supplemental nutrition program designed for pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, as well as infants and children up to the age of 5. WIC Overseas participants can receive nutrition education through individual counseling and group classes, supplemental foods (i.e-milk, juice, cheese, cereal, eggs, and infant formula), referrals to other health care agencies, and breastfeeding support.

For more information and to verify financial/residential eligibility, visit the Kadena WIC office located in Bldg. 428 on Kuter Blvd. or call DSN 315-632-9427. 

Fitness Programs

• Exercise Prescription -- Personalized exercise program development for individuals with specific needs. This program is conducted by our Exercise Physiologist.
• Fitness 101 -- Provides education on how to exercise properly and effectively to increase aerobic capacity and burn (lose) body fat. Additional topics discussed are metabolism, benefits of aerobic exercise and the FITTE principle: Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type and Enjoyment of exercise.
• Stress Management -- Provides education about general stress and the importance of stress management with emphasis on the unique stresses associated with military life. In general, it will assist individuals to adjust to life changes in a healthy and proactive manner. This education is conducted at the Life Skills Support Center.
• Relaxation Room/Massage Chairs -- Come relax at the HAWC with our relaxation chair, featuring Shiatsu massage and soothing music. To schedule a 20-minute appointment, call the HAWC at DSN 315-634-2499. Clients also receive educational information on managing stress and relaxation techniques.

Resource Center

A wide selection of a variety of informational pamphlets on topic such as fitness, nutrition, stress, tobacco cessation, disease prevention and management are available. Videos and books are also available for loan.

Unit/Commander's Call Preventative Health Briefings -- HAWC staff is available to provide information and resources pertaining to wellness, disease management, and prevention.

Dental

The Dental clinic hours are Monday - Friday 0700 until 1630 and is closed the third Thursday of every month from 1200 - 1600 for official training. The Dental Clinic may be reached by calling DSN 315-630-4817 option 2 and then option 1. Those eligible for Dental Clinic services include active duty Air Force, active duty Air Force dependents, active duty Army dependents if the AD member lives or works on Kadena AB, Civil Service, and DODDs Employees and Retirees (some categories on a Space-A only basis).

As some information may not currently apply to the Pacific region, members need to process Tricare enrollments for Okinawa through the Pacific region contractors either through AFRC Newcomer's, Wing FTAC, or by personally going into the appropriate clinic. For further information or questions, please contact the appropriate Tricare office.

Telephonic enrollments here on Okinawa will follow the following procedure. Members can contact the Customer Service toll free number 012-098-3990, option 4, then option 2 or 3 (2 for transfer, 3 for new). Members will be required to provide the special order number from their PCS orders during this process.