The health-care industry in southeastern Virginia boasts several
private hospitals and outpatient treatment clinics, a number of military
hospitals and base clinics, and many specialty clinics, dentists, and
chiropractors.
All Navy health care facilities in Hampton Roads fall
under Commander, Naval Base, Norfolk. Local facilities include Charette Health
Care Center, Portsmouth (formerly Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth), and five
branch clinics under the Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth. The branch
clinics are located at Sewell's Point, Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek,
Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Naval Air Station Oceana, and the Naval Weapons Station
Yorktown. In addition, there are annexes at Naval Security Group Activity,
Northwest and Fleet Combat Training Center, Dam Neck.
The Charette Health
Care Center, Portsmouth provides a comprehensive range of emergency, outpatient,
and inpatient health care services to active-duty Navy and Marine Corps
personnel, their families, and the many retired military members in the Hampton
Roads area. Approximately 450,000 active duty, retired, and dependent military
members are eligible to use this new facility. Of the 1.4 million
people living in the Hampton Roads area, 1 in 4 are eligible for care at the
hospital. Charette Medical Center, Portsmouth has the only military
emergency room on the southside of Hampton Roads. The medical clinics, spread
throughout Hampton Roads, serve all Navy and Marine Corps installations. The
branch clinics in the area are not equipped to handle life-threatening
emergencies. All life-threatening emergencies should be taken to the Charette
Health Care Center, Portsmouth, or the nearest civilian facility. Active-duty
personnel need to remember that they must use military care facilities. If an
emergency does arise and an active duty person must use a civilian hospital,
TRICARE must be notified at once, or insurance coverage is not assured.
Personnel should visit the health care facility nearest them to obtain
information on the availability of services at the facility.