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Soldiers and families now have another avenue to help resolve medical-related issues.
The Army activated its Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline March 19, at the direction of the Acting Secretary of the Army and the Army Chief of Staff.
The hotline offers wounded Soldiers and family members a way to seek help to resolve medical-related issues. It also provides a means for Soldiers and families to alert senior Army leaders about other medical issues. Knowledge of such issues helps Army leaders improve the way the Army serves the medical needs of Soldiers and their families.
The hotline can be reached by calling 800-984-8523, Monday through Friday. From Europe, Soldiers and family members can call DSN 312-328-0002 or e-mail wsfsupport@conus.army.mil. It is currently open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The hotline will expand to 24 hours a day, seven days a week when training of additional personnel is completed.
The U.S. Army Human Resources Command operates the call center.
“We have designed this call center to be able to collectively hear what the Soldiers say about their health care issues, so as issues are raised, we can identify systemic faults or problematic areas and senior leaders can better allocate resources,” said Maj. Gen. Sean J. Byrne, commanding general, U.S. Army Human Resources Command. “It’s all about serving our wounded and injured Soldiers and their families. If we can find a way to improve our system, we will. It’s that simple.”
The hotline is working. Landstuhl Regional Medical Center received three referrals from the call center the first day of activation.
Many wounded Soldiers who have supported the Global War on Terrorism, as well as their families, may endure hardships while navigating through the health care system. Recent events at Walter Reed Army Medical Center identified the need to improve the administrative processing of wounded Soldiers. The Army is committed to providing outstanding medical care and support for the men and women who have volunteered to serve their country.
Leaders in Soldiers’ chains of command should be aware that the call center exists, and that it was not created to circumvent the chain of command. It gives leaders another opportunity to assist their Soldiers in navigating the military health care system and to ensure wounded Soldiers and their families receive the best medical care and services possible.
“I am directing every leader within our Soldiers’ chains of command from squad leader to commanding general to reexamine how we support our Soldiers when issues are brought to our attention,” said Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Peter Schoomaker. “Our wounded Soldiers and their families expect and deserve the very best care and leadership from our Army, and I am sure each of you shares our commitment to see that we deliver.”
To access the wounded Soldier hotline, call DSN 312-328-0002 or e-mail wsfsupport@conus.army.mil Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EDT.
