U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, Japan is taking aim at missed medical appointments, also known as “no-shows”. The hospital is asking patients to notify them in advance if they need to cancel an appointment.

No-shows are a challenge faced by military treatment facilities throughout the Department of Defense, costing millions of dollars each year. In addition to financial costs, no-shows also disrupt hospital scheduling and staffing, which affects access to appointments.

“Every no-show is an appointment taken from another patient,” said Cmdr. Tarail Vernon, the Department Head of USNH Okinawa’s Multi-Service Ward. “The impact goes way beyond just financial costs. When no-shows keep patients from getting care the care they need and returning to duty, it directly impacts readiness.”

According to Vernon, it’s crucial for patients who need to cancel their appointment to let the hospital know at least 24 hours in advance.

“If you can’t show, let us know,” said Vernon. “Letting us know at least 24 hours in advance means we can make sure that the canceled appointment can be used by another patient.”

Patients who need to cancel can let the hospital know by using tolsecuremessaging.com or by calling 646-WELL (098-971-WELL if using a cellular phone).

U. S. Naval Hospital Okinawa is the largest overseas military treatment facility in the Navy, serving a beneficiary population of 47,000 active duty personnel, family members, civilian employees, contract personnel, and retirees. The facility also provides referral services for over 189,000 beneficiaries throughout the western Pacific.

For more news and information about U. S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, visit our web page at www.navy.mil/sites/nhoki or our official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/usnho.