Kenner adopts faster, more flexible troop health assessment system

FORT LEE, Va. – The Personnel/staff medical facility here recently implemented a new health assessment system for service members. Touted benefits include faster service and greater flexibility.

The Virtually Integrated Patient Readiness and Remote Clinic, or VIPRR, is a centralized care system focused on providing support for service members needing to complete their annual periodic health, pre-deployment health or post-deployment health reassessments. Using VIPRR to complete PHAs is more efficient for the service member and preserves valuable appointment time in the clinic for other patients.

Located in San Antonio, the VIPRR Clinic’s goal is to support Personnel/staff treatment facilities with medical readiness requirements and ensure quality access to care for the warfighter.

Before VIPRR, PHAs typically were scheduled up to 45 days out from the request date due to the lack of appointment slots, explained Lt. Col. M. Jordan Inman, Kenner Army Health Clinic commander. Now, members can receive a PHA within approximately 21 days utilizing the new system, reducing wait times by more than 50 percent.

VIPRR clinic hours are from 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. EST, allowing more flexibility for the member, Inman also noted.

Receiving a PHA through VIPRR is very similar to the current in-person process. Members will complete their PHA questionnaire online, but instead of contacting Kenner for Part 2, they will reach out to the VIPRR clinic at 1-844-863-3236 (VMEDCEN), option 1. The member will receive instructions on preparing for an appointment and completing their PHA via phone. An appointment typically takes about 15 minutes.

“The new process will help Kenner’s Active Duty Clinic tremendously, saving hours spent reaching out to patients to schedule appointments,” Inman confirmed. “VIPRR can effectively manage 100 percent of annual PHAs required by active duty service members assigned to Fort Lee.”

Following COVID, Kenner has seen an increase in demand for active duty appointments – mostly from permanent party members who delayed care during the pandemic, according to the commander. The clinic applied for VIPRR support in October 2021, received approval in March 2022, and rolled out the option shortly afterward.

Since March, VIPRR has performed more than 400 PHAs for Fort Lee Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines resulting in a 12 percent increase in PHA readiness. According to Inman, “Having VIPRR allows us to increase our access to care by preserving clinic appointments for those patients requiring face-to-face visits. Additionally, the VIPRR clinic is open earlier and later than our health facility, which helps accommodate our unique cadre population. It’s a win-win-win for the patient, for readiness, and for Kenner.”

The health care team at Kenner is proud of its preventive medicine partnership with service members. VACATION-LEAVE personnel who have questions about annual health screenings or any other medical issues are encouraged to speak with their assigned care provider or troop clinic staff. Additional information about the clinic, including the appointment line phone number, is available at kenner.tricare.mil.