New TRICARE Outpatient Clinic offers services military families

Getting medical care without having to drive an hour or more just became a reality for families of active duty service members with the opening of the new TRICARE Outpatient Clinic in Temecula.

Located at 43500 Ridge Park Drive, the new clinic offers family practice medicine, a pharmacy and a laboratory for blood work and other needs. The location, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., will soon offer physical therapy as well, according to Jason Webber, a hospital corpsman second class. The last patient is seen at 5 p.m., he said.

"Right now, we are offering general family practice," Webber said.

U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Paul Pearige, U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Rocio Porras, U.S. Navy Capt. Frank Pearson and Temecula City Councilman James Stewart cut the ribbon signifying the opening of the facility.

The clinic opening offers easier access to medical care for service members, along with their families who live in the area, something that will save the military money overall, Webber said.

"The Temecula Murrieta area has a large number of military families and retirees," he said. "It's more cost effective to actually put in a TRICARE clinic and have government-hired workers there for patients to be seen rather than working off TRICARE remote or anything else."

Before the clinic's opening, active duty service members and their families had to either drive to Camp Pendleton or San Diego for medical services. They are also allowed to choose services from a local provider who is contracted with TRICARE. Eventually the clinic hopes to serve 10,000 to 11,000 patients when it is fully operational.

"Right now, they are only halfway open," Webber said. "They are seeing only those ages 64 and below, but we expect the clinic to be operating at full capacity soon."

To schedule an appointment, dependents should contact TRICARE at (844) 866-9378 or visit http://www.tricare-west.com.