MiCare arrives at 22nd MDG Published June 28, 2013 By Senior Airman Laura L. Valentine 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- Patients of the 22nd Medical Group are now able to communicate securely and privately with their health care teams anywhere and anytime due to the Air Force-wide expansion of secure messaging. Secure messaging is available to patients through what is known as the MiCare portal. The MiCare portal is built to facilitate secure, online communications between patients and their healthcare team. MiCare went "live" for the 22nd MDG June 21, 2013. "The opportunity to securely communicate with your medical team," said Capt. Geoffrey Obia, 22nd MDG clinical nurse, "will eliminate 'telephone tag' between patients and their primary care teams, avoid unnecessary appointments, and ultimately save time for our patients and staff." The goal of MiCare is to improve the quality of healthcare that patients receive and provide a mechanism for patients to have better access to their own health information at whatever time is most convenient to them. "It is an added tool that carries the potential of improving patient and provider communication," said 1st Lt. Melissa Wendt, 22nd MDG physician assistant-certified. "I have used it to communicate with my patients and I love it." Benefits from MiCare's secure messaging tool include patient access anytime, anywhere to: Communicate privately with their healthcare team online without waiting in phone trees or playing phone tag Ask their healthcare team for advice about non-urgent symptoms Receive medical test and lab results Request medication renewals Request a copy of immunization records Access physician-approved health resource links at their convenience The healthcare team will be able to contact patients via MiCare to provide: Appointment reminders Follow up on a condition without requiring a trip to the medical treatment facility Medication alerts/refill information Medical test and referral results Notifications regarding Flu vaccinations, school and sports physicals, MTF closure dates, etc. In addition, according to Air Force Medical Service officials, in the near future MiCare will offer patients secure access to their personal health record. The PHR feature will allow patients to capture medical information in a central, online location. Officials emphasized that this has not been an option for patients in the past, making it difficult for them to keep track of health information coming from different doctors, treatment locations, emergency providers and overseas stations. In order to be eligible for MiCare, each patient's primary care manager must be assigned to the 22nd MDG. Enrollment will be offered through computers set up inside of the McConnell AFB clinic. To find out more, please visit the official MiCare site or contact the 22nd MDG, (316)759-6300.