The Gynecology & Acute Care clinic held a Walk-in Contraceptive Services ribbon cutting ceremony in celebration of expedited contraceptive care at Womack Army Medical Center, Jan. 26. Female, active-duty service members are now able to walk into the clinic on a first-come, first-served basis.

Walk-in appointments are available, every Thursday, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., lasting approximately 30 minutes. No appointment or referral is needed to access this service.

Types of contraceptive care include hormonal rods (under the skin), intrauterine devices, birth control patch, birth control pills, birth control vaginal ring, and hormonal shots.

“There’s been a lot of work that has gone into this in a short period of time,” said Col. David Zinnante, Central North Carolina Market director and WAMC commander. “What an opportune time for us to be able to prioritize women’s health and put it into the forefront. I am thankful for the teamwork, the collaboration and just the community effort. I don’t get to say thank you enough, to the working group.”

On Sept. 27, the DHA issued an administrative instruction outlining the requirements at military hospitals and clinics for full-scope contraceptive services, by Jan. 30. This new service requirement was implemented to improve reproductive health services.

To ensure WAMC met the deadline smoothly, the clinic had a pre-opening, Jan. 19, as a test run, to ensure the quality of care for Fort Bragg patients.

“I thought it was fitting that the ribbon we are cutting today is the color red. This is symbolic of cutting the red tape, to allow immediate walk-in access for our female active-duty population, which is huge. Walk in, one stop, one visit,” said Zinnante.

“When we look at this holistically; we are helping our female population with contraceptive care, helping with family planning and we are improving readiness,” he said. “It is a win for all parties and certainly a win to our organization.”

Another option that is also available is the Decide+ and Be Ready app. The app is designed to aid patients in making the best contraception decision and is available for download on smart phones. The app gives you evidence-based information on the most common forms of contraception available.
 
“This is a great step in the right direction for reproductive health and women’s health,” said Lt. Col. Mashandra Elam-Canty, WAMC Quality and Safety deputy commander and event coordinator. “I look forward to seeing how this grows within Fort Bragg and as we expand to the outlying units.”

To view Womack Army Medical Center's Walk-in Contraceptive Service Clinic, visit [https://womack.tricare.mil/Health-Services/Womens-Health-Pregnancy/Contraceptive-Services]. 
To view commonly asked contraceptive care questions, visit [https://health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Womens-Health/Questions-Answers/Contraceptive-Care-QnA].
To review various types of contraceptive care, visit [https://health.mil/News/Articles/2022/12/01/Military-Health-System-Offers-a-Variety-of-Contraceptive-Care-Services].