JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii  –   In a major step toward improving efficiency and patient satisfaction, Branch Health Clinic Makalapa has successfully launched a new integrated front desk that consolidates four previously separate check-in locations: Optometry, PCMH Gold and Red Teams, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, into a single, streamlined operation. Coinciding with this initiative, the clinic also transitioned all Outpatient Service Section and Specialty Service Clinic functions to the Patient Administration Department, effective Aug. 1.

The integrated front desk simplifies the arrival process for patients by replacing a scattered, multi-location check-in model with one unified point of service. This change particularly benefits elderly patients, parents with small children, and first-time visitors, who previously faced difficulty navigating to various check-in counters throughout the building.

The front desk integration also served as a strategic opportunity to reallocate staff and enhance clinical support. “We can better foster care and more easily provide directions to patients visiting our clinic,” says Rebecca Untalan, a Makalapa staff member. By reducing front desk staffing from six to four Sailors, the clinic was able to reassign two hospital corpsmen directly to BHC provider teams. This helped the clinic meet the Navy Medicine goal of a two-to-one corpsman-to-provider ratio, improving both access and quality of care.

With the OSS and SSC functions officially moving under the umbrella of PAD, the transition further streamlines operations, freeing clinical teams to focus on patient care while improving administrative consistency and oversight.

The consolidation also brought the front desk staff physically together in one space, replacing isolated desk assignments with a team-based dynamic that has boosted morale and communication. “We have streamlined our different medical teams all into one. Now, blue, gold, and red teams are on the same page,” HA Channel Boncato noted.

The changes have already produced measurable results: faster check-in times, improved Patient Information Profile verification, and higher patient satisfaction. “We have gotten highly positive feedback from patients, saying how much easier it is for them to navigate this process,” Heather Chaparro added. More importantly, the initiative demonstrates how innovation and teamwork can drive tangible improvements in both the patient and staff experience.

As part of a broader focus on continuous improvement across Navy Medicine and the Defense Health Agency, the Makalapa integrated front desk and PAD transition highlight the power of collaboration, resourcefulness, and mission-focused leadership in delivering world-class healthcare to our beneficiaries.