Naval Hospital Bremerton is set to transfer nearly 700 patients with TRICARE For Life coverage to civilian healthcare providers due to chronic staffing shortages within its internal medicine clinic. Since late November, the clinic has struggled with only one physician managing care for 2,200 patients, a situation deemed unsustainable by hospital officials. Patients were informed of the transition during a recent gathering, with assurances that they can still access urgent care and pharmaceutical services at the hospital. Capt. Molly Jenkins, the hospital's executive officer, acknowledged the ongoing staffing crisis and the difficulties in recruiting primary care providers in Kitsap County, which has significantly fewer doctors per capita compared to the state average.

The decision to transfer patients underscores the broader challenges facing the region's healthcare system, which has seen numerous service closures, including inpatient and emergency care. Dr. Gib Morrow, a local health official, has expressed concerns about the strain on civilian healthcare resources as the naval hospital continues to make cutbacks. As the hospital explores solutions within the military health system, the transition aims to provide continuity of care for affected patients. This situation raises pressing questions about the adequacy of health services for retired military personnel in an increasingly overstressed civilian healthcare landscape.