Brief History of the NAWS
China Lake is steeped in Naval History. In the summer of 1943 Dr. Charles C. Lauritsen of the California Institute of Technology, and Navy Commander Jack Renard, flew a small plane over the vast Mojave Desert in search of the perfect remote location to establish a "shooting range" for testing Navy missiles. They eventually spotted a small two-way landing strip in Inyokern. The site was extremely remote, but not too far removed from Cal Tech's Pasadena base. Shortly afterwards, the Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS) was born.
Mission / Vision / Culture
Mission
We support readiness and health of the Navy and Marine Corps family by providing safe and high quality healthcare.
Vision
NMRTC Twentynine Palms will be the premier remote training command for clinical excellence, readiness, and warfighter survivability.
Elements of our Vision
Establish the top operational medical training center in Navy Medicine
Improve internal satisfaction
Be the hospital of choice to deliver the highest quality care to the warfighter and the beneficiary
NMRTC Twentynine Palms and our branch clinics are the duty station of choice
Our Culture
Caring and Compassion
Engagement
Integrity
Honest and Open Communications
Ownership
Resiliency
Our Five Strategies
1. We will build the next generation of leaders.
2. We will ensure effective internal and external communications.
3. We will take care of our own.
4. We will establish agreements (MOUs) to create and sustain training.
5. We will better manage data, funds, and human capital.
Services Offered
- Family Practice/Military Medicine
- Dental Clinic (Active Duty only)
- Preventive Medicine
- Industrial Hygiene
- Basic Pharmacy, Laboratory and Radiology
- Routine military and dependent immunizations
- Overseas/Sea Duty/Commissioning/ROTC Screenings
- Civilian Physical Exams/Occupational Health
Because the clinic is designed and equipped to primarily treat general medical conditions, anyone requiring specialty care, e.g., cardiology and neurology (just to name a few), may not be considered suitable for this isolated duty station. If you have an ongoing medical or dental condition, you must obtain special clearance through the Overseas Screening Process before you transfer.
If a medical emergency condition develops which is beyond the scope of care provided by the clinic, the patient will be referred to the nearest available medical facility for follow on care.
Although able to assess standard visual acuity, eye care and eye wear correctible lenses prescriptions cannot be written or filled at the clinic. Those personnel transferring to China Lake are strongly encouraged to bring extra prescription lenses. Prescription eyewear for active duty may be ordered by the clinic, but please bear in mind that it can take up to two weeks for the eyewear to arrive. Additionally, because of the strong ultraviolet light in the high desert, it is strongly advised to bring sunglasses designed to block ultraviolet rays. If you require a prescription while stationed aboard NAWS, you will be referred to a local TRICARE approved Optometrist.
Medical Home Port at China Lake
We are proud to be on the cutting edge of patient care by providing our patients with the benefits of Patient Centered Home Port. Medical Home Port is a proactive, team-based approach to caring for you and your family. Patients will receive more personalized care that is coordinated by an entire team, led by your Primary Care Manager (PCM). Some of the goals of the Medical Home Port are to:
- Improve patient satisfaction
- Improve access and continuity with your PCM team
- Improve health outcomes
- Focus on disease prevention and health and wellness promotion
Consults and Referrals
Routine referrals to network or other Military Treatment Facility (MTF) specialty clinics require 3 to 5 days of processing. You be able to view the status and print your authorization letters from your referral portal at
https://tricare.triwest.com/ For further information or assistance with referrals, please contact Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms Referral Management Office at (760) 830-2616 or TriWest Healthcare Alliance at 1-888-TRIWEST (874-9378).
TRICARE Information
Personnel are strongly encouraged to resolve any TRICARE issues prior to departure from their previous duty station. The following websites may be used as references:
After Hours Care
Emergency vs. Urgent Care
- EMERGENCY: Anything severe enough to reasonably believe life, limb or eyesight could be threatened. This includes maternity and psychiatric emergencies. No referral is needed. CALL 911 OR GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
- URGENT CARE: An illness or injury that won't cause further disability or death if not treated immediately, but needs medical attention to keep it from evolving into a greater threat and requires urgent care. Active Duty must obtain a referral to go to Urgent Care during clinic business hours. To obtain authorization for Urgent Care, the patient or sponsor must call: Nurse Advice Line at 1 800-TRICARE (1-800-874-2273).
Connecting with Your Care Team
Please utilize MHS Genesis Patient Portal to securely connect with your care team:
https://patientportal.mhsgenesis.health.mil.
This portal allows you to:
- Monitor your health information
- Update your patient profile
- Exchange secure messages with your care team
- See laboratory and test results
- Avoid unnecessary office visits and long waits over the phone
Customer Feedback
Your comments and experiences are important to us and help us continue to provide quality care to our patients. Feedback with the names of the team members who participated in your care is especially helpful. If you wish to provide feedback, you have several options:
- Complete a paper comment card and drop it in any of our Customer Comment Boxes (located throughout the Clinic) or at the Front Desk.
- Complete an electronic card (Interactive Customer Evaluation) online at https://ice.disa.mil/.
- Call our main Clinic line and ask to speak to a Customer Relations Representative.
Following your appointment, you may also receive a Joint Department Experience Survey (JOES) patient satisfaction survey in the mail. We greatly appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete and return the survey, noting our strengths and areas in which we can improve.
Referral Patient Portal (View referral status and print your referral authorization letters):
www.tricare-west.com
Referral Management Center (Twentynine Palms): (760) 830-2616
Incoming staff members --
Request a Welcome Aboard Package:
usn.29palms.nmrtc-29-palms.list.nhtp-sponsor@health.mil