Naval Hospital Jacksonville now offers a faster, innovative way to complete health visits without a trip to the hospital or clinic: virtual visits. These decrease time away from the mission, work, and family.

The Navy Care app enables patients to have a live, virtual visit with a clinician, using a smartphone, tablet, or computer. It's private, secure, and free.

"Navy Care catapults the military health system into the 21st century," said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Patrick Goldsmith, an independent duty corpsman at Naval Branch Health Clinic Jacksonville. "The app provides real-time access to care for Sailors and Marines in remote environments, and decreases the warfighter's time away from the workplace."

Active duty, retirees and families can also use the virtual app for follow-up medical visits. The Navy Care app allows Sailors and Marines to complete their Period Health Assessment (PHA) from their unit or home, decreasing the amount of time away from their job.

Clinicians work from their office at the hospital or branch health clinic, during a virtual visit. The patient and clinician see and talk to each other in real time, using Navy Care's secure app or website, from any video-enabled device (such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer).

The best thing is that it's private, secure, and free. Patients simply schedule with their medical provider and connect.

Navy Care virtual visits are available for many types of follow-up visits in allergy, behavioral health, clinical pharmacy, diabetes wellness team, family medicine, IDC clinic, neurology/sleep medicine, nutrition, orthopedics/podiatry, and periodic health assessment (PHA). In addition, virtual visits are available for breastfeeding support and chaplain services.

Navy Care is an extension of value-based care, which focuses on improving health outcomes and access for patients. The app delivers convenient care with the quality of a face-to-face visit.

If the patient's medical needs are appropriate for a virtual visit, the patient's provider will discuss Navy Care with them. Hospital or branch clinic staff will create an account for the patient. Once an account has been created, patients can access their accounts by visiting https://navy.care, or by downloading the free Navy Care app (for iOS on the Apple App Store, or for Android phones at the Google Play Store). Patients receive an email confirming the appointment, and when it's time for a virtual appointment, patients check-in either by using the link sent via email, or by logging in to the app or website. A technical support team is available by phone (866-795-8900) or by email (navycare@americanwell.com).

To use Navy Care, a patient needs a video-enabled device that's connected to a 3G, 4G LTE, or wireless (Wi-Fi) network.

Each of the nearly 50 virtual health providers, at the hospital and branch health clinics, have completed specialized training to provide care through this service. The Navy Care app launched at Naval Hospital Jacksonville in February 2018.

NH Jacksonville's priority since its founding in 1941 is to heal the nation's heroes and their families. The command is comprised of the Navy's third largest hospital and five branch health clinics across Florida and Georgia. Of its patient population (163,000 active and retired sailors, soldiers, Marines, airmen, guardsmen, and their families), almost 85,000 are enrolled with a primary care manager and Medical Home Port team at one of its facilities. To find out more or download the command's mobile app, visit www.med.navy.mil/sites/navalhospitaljax.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Hospital Jacksonville, visit www.navy.mil/.