Children's Health

Pediatrics

What We Do 

The Clinic provides comprehensive primary care to Prime enrolled beneficiaries ages newborn to 17 as well as NATO/foreign national military family members. We provide holistic care and navigate all enrolled patients’ needs including referrals to specialty care. 

Who We Treat

TRICARE Prime enrollees and NATO/foreign national family members.

Getting Care

Online Appointment Booking

Direct online booking is not available at this time. However, patients may still request appointments in the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal with all of the applicable information regarding their desired appointment. The Air Force Academy Pediatrics Clinic is best able to assist you when using this approach.

COVID-19

If seeking care for symptoms that are consistent with COVID-19, contact the Access to Care Line. If you are simply seeking testing, please message your PCM via the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal with the details of the testing request.

It is also recommended to search for free off-base testing locations via https://www.elpasocountyhealth.org/covid-19-testing-information.

Our Care Team

 

NAME	TITLE
Capt Hannah Beal	Pediatrician
Maj Rachel Cinlemis	Pediatrician
Maj John Laskoski	Pediatrician and Medical Director
Lt Col Katherine Griffiths	Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

 

Routine Care Needs

Acute Issues/Need to be Seen within 24 Hours

Contact the Access to Care line and attempt to attain an appointment within 24 hours. If no appointments are available, care will either be directed to the MHS Nurse Advice Line at 800-874-2273, option 1, web chat/video at https://mhsnurseadviceline.com, or to a TRICARE network approved Urgent Care Center off-base.

There is no co-pay for Active Duty Family Members. Retirees and their families will incur a small co-pay. It is essential that you go to a TRICARE network urgent care center, otherwise will incur out-of-pocket costs.

We strongly urge patients to use the MHS Nurse Advice Line prior to visiting an urgent care center as a Registered Nurse may be able to more appropriately direct your care.

Well Child Visits/Chronic Issues/Non Acute Care/Need to be Seen Beyond 24 Hours

Contact the access to care line or request appointments via the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal. See instructions below.

Medication Renewals

Send messages to your PCM via the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal. We will work to resolve your medication renewal within 72 hours.

Referral Renewals

Initiate your referral renewal request with all details about your referral (specialty, name of practice/provider and diagnoses being seen for) via the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal. 

Virtual Appointments

When requesting an appointment or contacting the clinic regarding medication, referral, paperwork or other health needs, the clinic may coordinate a virtual or telehealth appointment with you.  You will receive all applicable instructions either over the phone or via patient portal message.

Overseas Clearance/Exceptional Family Member Program

The process has recently changed whereby all families preparing for a PCS and all sponsors who are Q coded and have family members enrolled in EFMP must complete the Family Member Travel Screening (FMTS) process.

This screening is completed through myVector and allows for a comprehensive review of your family’s current medical needs against the current and projected availability of resources at the gaining location.

If the patient’s sponsor is at USAFA and you need additional assistance, contact the EFMP office at 719-333-5991 to initiate the process. If the patient’s sponsor is at Peterson/Schriever, contact their EFMP office at 719-556-1392.  If the patient’s sponsor is at Fort Carson, contact their EFMP office at 719-526-7805.

Sports vs. School Physicals

Sports physicals are not a TRICARE covered benefit. Physicals required for school enrollment is a TRICARE covered benefit. Due to the demands of acute and routine health care, the Pediatrics clinic has limited capacity to support sports physicals.

We recommend patients pay a small out-of-pocket cost to have these exams performed at a local urgent care center. Many of the local urgent care centers in the Colorado Springs community perform these exams at a costs of $20 to $40.

Travel Medicine

Persons calling for immunizations, medications or information related to leisure travel outside the continental United States must either submit an MHS GENESIS Patient Portal secure message or call the Public Health office located at the 10 MDG, second floor at 719-333-9443.

Walk-ins are welcome, however, it will require a wait time of approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour for processing a travel request. Face-to-Face appointments, if needed, will be determined by the Public Health technician.

Medications, immunizations and related travel information specific to that country will be relayed to the provider and traveler.

Emergency and After Hours Care

Emergency – Life, Limb or Eyesight

Call 911 or report to the nearest emergency room.

Non Emergent/Urgent

Utilize the MHS Nurse Advice Line. Either call via 800-874-2273 to speak with a Registered Nurse or visit https://mhsnurseadviceline.com for web or video chat with a Registered Nurse. 

Patients may go to a TRICARE network approved Urgent Care Center off-base. There is no co-pay for Active Duty Family Members. Retirees and their families will incur a small co-pay.  It is essential that you go to a TRICARE network urgent care center, otherwise will incur out-of-pocket costs.

We strongly urge patients to use the MHS Nurse Advice Line prior to visiting an urgent care center as a Registered Nurse may be able to more appropriately direct your care.

Non-Urgent

Patients should not utilize an urgent care center for non-urgent care such as a chronic issues, paperwork needing PCM signature, medication renewals, referrals/referral renewals. In this case, please message your provider via the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal and we will begin working your request on the next business day to be resolved within 72 hours.

How to Utilize the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal

Visit our tutorial page that includes screen shots and step-by-step instructions for submitting messages, booking appointments and requesting appointments.

When messaging or searching our clinic, use the name: USAF Academy Pediatrics_PCM Last Name, First Name.