Healthcare delivery structures at Martin Army Medical Center and St. Francis Medical

¶ … Martin Army Medical Center, Fort Benning, Georgia and St. Francis Medical, Columbus Georgia

Because resources are by definition scarce, it is important for tertiary healthcare providers to develop healthcare delivery structures that are efficient and effective. Since every healthcare organization is unique, though, these delivery structures can vary widely in scope and purpose. To gain some fresh insights into the healthcare delivery structures that are used by civilian and military health facilities, this paper provides a comparison of Martin Army Medical Center at Fort Benning, Georgia with St. Francis Medical in Columbus, Georgia, followed by a summary of the research and important findings in the conclusion.

Review and Comparison

Martin Army Medical Center, Fort Benning, Georgia

Health care delivery structure. Opened in 1958, this is a U.S. Department of Defense facility operated by the U.S. Army that offers inpatient, outpatient and emergency services. At present, Martin Army Medical Center 250-bed, 10-floor (four of which are patient wards) medical facility that is currently one of the largest and most comprehensive community hospitals in the U.S. Army healthcare system. In sum, Martin Army Medical Center is a tertiary healthcare facility that currently offers the following healthcare services:

Emergency Services

Behavioral Health

Family Medicine

Family Medicine Residency

Department of Medicine

Department of Pharmacy

Department of Pathology

Preventive Medicine

Department of Radiology

Department of Surgery

Within this umbrella of coverage, the Martin Army Medical Center facility provides a wide range of inpatient and outpatient medical services and the patients treated at this facility are eligible military beneficiaries (About us, 2012). The Martin Army Medical Center also features a state-of-the-art emergency services department, an extensive surgical suite with same-day capabilities, a labor-delivery and recovery suite, and more three dozen ambulatory care clinics (About us, 2012). In addition, the facility operates a fully accredited laboratory service, diagnostic radiology with computerized tomography and nuclear medicine, extensive pharmacy service, dental services, as well as a number of other ancillary support services (About us, 2012). Beyond the foregoing, the Martin Army Medical Center also provides medical research and support services for a number of active-duty military initiatives (About us, 2012).

Comparisons

Comparison to competitor. Like its competitor, St. Francis Medical in Columbus, Georgia, this Department of Defense facility is also a not-for-profit operation; this Department of Defense facility, though, limits patient services to eligible military beneficiaries (these may include family members). Although Martin Army Medical Center offers a wider range of healthcare services than St. Francis Medical, the latter features a number of services that are specifically for women. In fact, no specialized services for female veterans were identified at Martin Army Medical Center.

Profile licensing and regulatory factors. Both St. Francis Medical and all Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs are subject to the same licensure and regulatory requirements that apply to their civilian counterparts, including accreditation by the Joint Commission (Department of Defense Instruction Cir. No. 6025.13, 2011).

Changes in economy. Because the healthcare services offered at Martin Army Medical Center are free of charge to eligible beneficiaries, downturns in the national economy will likely mean that fewer eligible military patients will seek medical care elsewhere, such as in a civilian facility like St. Francis, unless these charges were fee-based and covered by the military.

National trends. A major trend that will likely affect Martin Army Medical Center in the near future is the increased incidence of traumatic brain injuries and posttraumatic stress disorders among returning combat soldiers from the Middle East. The second trend, which will affect both healthcare facilities, is an aging population in general that will require additional geriatric and domiciliary services in the future.

Quality indicators. The Martin Army Medical Center subscribes to the same evidence-based quality indicators that are used in civilian hospitals such as St. Francis Medical (Department of Defense Instruction Cir. No. 6025.13, 2011).

Conclusion

The research showed that Martin Army Medical Center at Fort Benning, Georgia and St. Francis Medical in Columbus, Georgia are not-for-profit tertiary healthcare facilities that provide a broad array of healthcare services. With respect to Martin Army Medical Center, the research showed that this is a Department of Defense facility operated by the Department of Army for eligible military beneficiaries. Martin Army Medical Center was also shown to provide a number of support and research activities for active duty Army components as well. By contrast, St. Francis Medical was shown to be slightly larger with about 128 more beds than Martin Army Medical Center but with fewer overall healthcare services offered.