JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas -- Brooke Army Medical Center celebrated the grand opening for the Armed Forces YMCA’s Children’s Waiting Room with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 25.
The new facility, located inside the main entrance to the hospital, will provide free childcare for active duty service members and their dependents while they are attending medical appointments.
“I appreciate all the help from all the organizations involved in getting us here,” said retired Rear Adm. Charles F. Williams, chief of staff, Armed Services YMCA of the USA. “The Children’s Waiting Room is a program we have present across the country, and we saw BAMC as a huge opportunity to take care of military families and introduce our services in the San Antonio area.”
Known as “Military City USA,” San Antonio is home to more than 250,000 beneficiaries who use BAMC’s services on a daily basis. Col. Mark Stackle, commander, Brooke Army Medical Center, said the grand opening is the result of nearly two years of work by multiple agencies.
“I want to thank the ASYMCA, USAA, former Congressman Henry Bonilla, and TriWest for everything they did to make this happen,” Stackle said. “What we do here at BAMC is not done anywhere else. We have double the workload of any medical facility and we have both the highest volume and most complex cases. This Children’s Waiting Room really is an important thing to have for this organization and for the people we serve.”
The facility will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and will be available for children of military members or their spouses for the duration of their appointment. The appointments can be at BAMC or at medical facilities at Fort Sam Houston. Anyone interested must go to qrco.de/bamc-cwr to register their children before their first visit. Additionally, parents or guardians need to bring a copy of each child’s shot record at their first visit.
“I think since April is the Month of the Military Child, that it’s just so appropriate that we’re doing this ribbon cutting today,” said Sheri Yerrington, the ASYMCA Killeen’s executive director. “Not only are we serving the children of military members, we are building relationships.”
For more information, visit https://www.defense.gov/Spotlights/Month-of-the-Military-Child/.
There are more than 1.6 million military children who face many challenges and unique experiences as a result of their parents' service.
As a retired Navy Admiral, Williams said he understands the need for readiness, in all its aspects, for service members and said he is proud to be a partner in the new facility the ASYMCA brought to BAMC because it will enhance the readiness for service members and their families.
“Anyone in the military who talks about readiness has to understand that it also entails personal readiness,” Williams said. “A service member who is not personally ready will not be able to fully contribute to unit readiness. Service members who are not allowed to take care of their medical and behavioral health will not be fully ready and that will negatively impact overall military readiness.”
He said the new Children’s Waiting Room may also help reduce the number of appointment cancellations because service members either can’t find or can’t afford childcare.
Stackle highlighted the importance of family-centered care.
“Today, we celebrate more than just a new room,” he said. “We celebrate a commitment to family-centered care, to the well-being of our military community, and to providing the best possible experience for everyone who walks through the doors of Brooke Army Medical Center.”