AFMS - Barksdale - Barksdale Medical Group

11/02/2026

Urgent Care vs. Emergency Room: Know Where to Go!

Knowing where to go when you need medical care helps you get treated faster while keeping emergency teams ready for critical, life-threatening cases.

When to choose Urgent Care 🤒:
• Minor cuts that may need stitches
• Sprains, strains, and minor fractures
• Fever, sore throat, cough, and earaches
• Mild asthma flare-ups, simple rashes, or minor burns
• Urinary tract infections

TRICARE Urgent Care Access:
You can visit any TRICARE-authorized urgent care facility in your network for non-life-threatening concerns. Non-active-duty beneficiaries do not need a referral to visit an authorized urgent care center.

Find a network urgent care location near you:

When to head to the Emergency Room 🚨:
• Chest pain or pressure
• Sudden weakness, numbness, or difficulty speaking
• Severe shortness of breath
• Major head injury or uncontrolled bleeding
• Severe allergic reactions or poisoning
• Compound fractures (bone through skin)

Still unsure where to go? Contact the Military Health System (MHS) Nurse Advice Line! Available 24/7, registered nurses can assess your symptoms and recommend the best course of action.
📞 Call: 1-800-TRICARE (1-800-874-2273)
💻 Web or video chat: search mhs genesis nurse advice line

11/02/2026

⚠️ Barksdale Medical Group Appointment Line Outage📞

Please be advised that the Barksdale Medical Group appointment line is temporarily unavailable due to technical difficulties.

We are working to resolve this issue and restore normal phone service as soon as possible.

💻 MHS GENESIS Patient Portal: Patients may continue to use the portal to schedule appointments and send messages to their healthcare team.

🚑 For medical emergencies, please call 911 or proceed to the nearest emergency room.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience and understanding.

10/30/2026

🔊 Barksdale Medical Group November Closures 🔊

🚑 If you have an emergency please call 911 or go to
the nearest emergency room.

Here are some options to access care during MDG
closures:

1) MHS Genesis Patient Portal:
💻 You can message your provider with non-urgent
requests or concerns through the MHS Genesis Patient
Portal as well as schedule an appointment.

2) Nurse Advice Line (NAL):
- 📱Call 1-800-TRICARE (874-2273), option 1.
- With the NAL, a registered nurse is available 24/7 to
answer your health care questions, assess your
symptoms and give recommendations for the most
appropriate level of care, provide instructions to treat
minor issues at home, and help locate an appropriate
care facility, if necessary.

10/29/2026

🚨 Training Day Update 🚨

Effective November 4, 2026, the Barksdale Medical Group will be closed from 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wednesdays of each month for Training Day.

🚪Doors will open at 12:00 p.m., and normal operations will resume until 4:30 p.m.

For urgent care needs during closure, please contact the MHS Nurse Advice Line:

📞 Call: 1-800-TRICARE (1-800-874-2273), Option 1

💻 Online: Visit MHS Nurse Advice Line for web or video chat.

🚑 In the event of a medical emergency, call 911 or proceed to the nearest Emergency Room.

We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

10/29/2026

📢 Barksdale Medical Group Early Closure Reminder, 30 October 📢

Please be advised that Barksdale MDG will be open for routine operations until 1500 Friday, 30 October 2026 due to our Barksdale Medical Group Halloween Trick or Treat Event. Doors will be open from 1500-1630 for all Barksdale personnel and their families. 🎃 🍭

For urgent care needs after closure, please contact the MHS Nurse Advice Line:
📱Call 1-800-TRICARE (1-800-874-2273), option 1

💻 Online: Visit MHSNurseAdviceLine for web or video chat.

🚑 In the event of a medical emergency, call 911 or proceed to the nearest Emergency Room.

We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

10/27/2026

📢 Barksdale Medical Group Early Closure Reminder, 28 October📢

Please be advised that Barksdale MDG will be open until 1200 tomorrow, 28 October 2026 due to our Training Day.

For urgent care needs after closure, please contact the MHS Nurse Advice Line:
📱Call 1-800-TRICARE (1-800-874-2273), option 1

💻 Online: Visit MHSNurseAdviceLine for web or video chat.

🚑 In the event of a medical emergency, call 911 or proceed to the nearest Emergency Room.

We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

10/23/2026

📢 Barksdale Medical Group Early Closure Reminder Today📢

Please be advised that Barksdale MDG will be closed at 1400 today, 23 October due to our Comprehensive Airman Fitness Day.

For urgent care needs after closure, please contact the MHS Nurse Advice Line:
📱Call 1-800-TRICARE (1-800-874-2273), option 1

💻 Online: Visit MHSNurseAdviceLine.com for web or
video chat.

🚑 In the event of a medical emergency, call 911 or
proceed to the nearest Emergency Room.

We appreciate your understanding and apologize for
any inconvenience this may cause.

10/09/2026

TRICARE Open Season is coming soon!

🗓 From Nov. 9–Dec. 8, 2026, eligible TRICARE beneficiaries can enroll in, change, or disenroll from TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select. Any changes made during Open Season take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

During Open Season, you can:
✅ Stay in your current plan—no action required
✅ Enroll in TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select
✅ Switch plans or change between individual and family enrollment

Know your options:

🔵 TRICARE Prime: Managed care with a primary care manager, no deductible, and referrals for most specialty care.

🔵 TRICARE Select: Self-managed care with no primary care manager required, an annual deductible, and no referrals for primary or most specialty care.

Review your coverage options and make sure your health plan continues to meet your family’s needs for 2027.

10/08/2026

❗DEERS Outage❗
Friday, Oct 9 (9 p.m. ET) - Sunday, Oct 11

⚠️🛑 DEERS will be offline this weekend.

You will be unable to access it starting Friday, October 9 at 9 PM ET through Sunday, October 11. During this time, you may be unable to update your contact info, verify eligibility, or complete enrollment actions.

Please plan ahead! For urgent concerns during the outage, contact your TRICARE contractor.

10/07/2026

Need Same-Day Care? How to Book Barksdale Acute Care Appointments

To provide prompt, high-quality care, the Barksdale Medical Group offers acute care appointments daily during normal clinic operating hours.

Acute care appointments ensure patients needing timely evaluation receive dedicated time with a healthcare provider to get evaluated, treated, and back on track quickly—supporting both your health and mission readiness.

To help us get you seen quickly and keep wait times down, acute care is available by appointment only (we do not have walk-in sick call hours). Booking is fast and easy!

How to schedule an acute care appointment:

📞 Call the Appointment Line (Preferred): 318-456-6555

🏥 Visit in Person: Stop by the clinic front desk during normal business hours to request an appointment

🩺 Contact the Military Health System Nurse Advice Line: 1-800-874-2273 (available 24/7 for symptom triage and guidance)

Need Care After Hours?

If the clinic is closed or you need urgent care, we've got you covered:

🪖 Active Duty: If seeking care at a community urgent care center, you will need a referral for a TRICARE-authorized facility. Obtaining a referral is quick and easy through the TRICARE Nurse Advice Line (call 1-800-874-2273) or visit https://www.tricare.mil/GettingCare/Types-of-Care/UrgentCare.

💙 Family Members & Retirees: You can visit any TRICARE-authorized urgent care center—no referral needed! Find your nearest authorized facility here: TRICARE Urgent Care Directory

🚑 As always, if you or a loved one are experiencing a life-threatening medical emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. No referral needed.