Dear TRICARE Provider,
 
I am glad you are here. I am an active duty Army wife and my family and I recently moved to a new duty station. The local military treatment facility does not have many specialty services available for family members due to an increase in the number of soldiers assigned here and the number of military providers being deployed overseas. In fact, my spouse just left for a 15-month tour of duty leaving me to find pediatric services for our 6-year-old, who has a seizure disorder.
 

The common thread of all Army wives is to strive to maintain our family’s health and well-being while our spouses are performing their duty to their country. We have the same responsibilities as most civilian wives with regards to work, children and home … but there is also the additional worry we carry knowing that our spouses could be in harm’s way.
 

Over the past eight weeks, my child and I have been referred to the civilian provider community several times for specialty care. We have been met with friendly faces and understanding office staff who appear to know TRICARE better than I do! It is comforting to me as a mother to know that my child is treated with sensitivity and awareness of her situation. It’s difficult being 6 years old, still tentative in your new surroundings, having your father gone for an extended period of time and having to
cope with a seizure disorder.
 

I would like to thank the civilian network providers for their ability to adapt to these times and the unique nature and needs of their TRICARE patients. On behalf of Army wives like me, we appreciate your availability and knowledge of our health care program. We especially appreciate your sensitivity to our children, who need to feel safe and secure in their changing world. We are glad you are here!
 

Thank you!

Signed,
An Army Wife

  
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Created: November 15, 2007