Desmond T. Doss Health Clinic celebrates annex opening | Article

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii – The Desmond T. Doss Health Clinic recently celebrated the opening of its newly completed annex and the memorialization of Heaton Road. The 73,000 square foot facility houses the Schofield Barracks Dental Clinic, the Behavioral Health Clinic, and the Sports Medicine Clinic. In honor of Retired Army Lt. Gen. Leonard D. Heaton, who previously served as a surgeon at the Schofield Barracks Post Hospital during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and ended his career as the 31st Surgeon General of the Army, the Desmond Doss team renamed the road in front of the new annex facility in Heaton’s honor.

“As Winston Churchill wrote, ‘we shape our buildings! Thereafter they shape us,’” notes Col. Anthony King, Commander of Desmond T. Doss Health Clinic. “Churchill’s philosophy was that a building is more than a structure; it is a place of trust that shapes all who enter. Our new building directly impacts our ability to enable readiness and conserve the fighting strength by providing a rich, collaborative environment that leads to an improved experience for our employees and, most importantly, those we serve.”

The $75M project provides an additional 73,000 square feet of clinic space. Construction began in September 2018 and was overseen by the U.S. Army Health Facility Planning Agency.

“Not only are we excited to offer our patients a brand-new facility, we’re also honored to pay our respects to Heaton’s contributions to Army Medicine, first as the surgeon here on Schofield Barracks during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and later as the Surgeon General of the Army,” explains Lt. Col. Matthew Geiman, Deputy Commander for Administration for DDHC. “LTG Heaton was a tireless advocate for providing patients with the best resources available, including new medical facilities, so it made sense to memorialize his efforts as we opened our new annex.”

The three-story facility houses the Schofield Barracks Dental Clinic on the first floor, complete with all new equipment to provide seamless routine and specialty care for active duty patients.

“Our new Dental Clinic includes 42 new treatment operatories complete with x-ray capability, so our patients never have to leave their chair for routine appointments,” describes Lt. Col. Jasmine de Guzman, Officer in Charge of the Schofield Barracks Dental Clinic. “We also have two new oral surgery suites, a Periodontics department with state-of-the-art implant and laser practices, as well as a Prosthodontic laboratory that has been described as one of the most advanced laboratories in the Army, and Endodontic suites with high-end dental microscopes to improve dental procedures like root canals.”

While the Dental Clinic occupies the first floor of the annex, the second floor houses the Behavioral Health Clinic’s Multi-Disciplinary and Intensive Out-Patients programs, as well as the Child and Family Behavioral Health Services and Family Advocacy programs.

“We’re excited to welcome our patients to our new space,” notes Lt. Col. Alexander Ragan, Chief of Behavioral Health Services at DDHC. “Everything in our clinic has been designed to maximize patient comfort, decrease wait times, and increase efficiency across our Behavioral Health programs.”

The Sports Medicine Clinic moved into the third floor of the annex, which also boasts a large lanai for outdoor classes.

“This new space provides our physical therapists and technicians with state-of-the-art equipment to help return our patients to their everyday activities,” explains Maj. Michael Konetsky, Chief of Sports Medicine. “In addition to brand-new functional fitness equipment, we’re also able to offer functional restoration programs on our new lanai.

The Dental, Behavioral Health, and Physical Therapy Clinics are now seeing patients in the new facility. Hours of operation and phone numbers for all clinics remain the same.