Providing health care to the Kwajalein community is the responsibility of the Medical and Dental Services Department. In addition, an ambulance service staffed by qualified emergency medical technicians is maintained by the Fire Department.

Imaging services provides routine diagnostic radiographs and screening diagnostic ultrasound studies. Occupational health programs include medical surveillance examinations for employees as well as community public health services.

Charges for medical and dental care are set by the USAKA/RTS financial rate and policy manual. Kwajalein Hospital will bill your insurance company if you are a resident. Patients and their families are responsible for co-pays, deductibles and any charges not paid by their insurance company.

Dental services include emergency relief of pain, examination and diagnosis, dental X-ray, restorative treatment, prosthetic treatment, crowns, bridgework, limited cosmetic treatment and limited endodontic/periodontal services. The clinic is staffed with fulltime U.S. licensed dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants. Orthodontic services are not available.

An optometrist from Hawaii sees patients on Kwajalein several times a year.

Kwajalein Hospital is a 12 bed inpatient care hospital staffed and operated by the contractor, employing U.S. licensed and certified doctors, nurses and technicians. The hospital is staffed and equipped to provide general medical inpatient and outpatient care, emergency treatment, pre-natal care and some general surgery. Ancillary services include medical imaging, physical therapy, clinical laboratory, pharmacy and occupational health services.

Prospective residents should understand that the scope of services at Kwajalein is limited despite the presence of well-qualified professional staff and services that correspond to a well run community hospital in the United States. Certain acute conditions may arise that are be-yond the capabilities of local personnel, resources and facilities. Emergency medical evacuation to Honolulu medical facilities may entail delays from 24 to 48 hours. Residents should be in good health physically and psychologically, requiring regular off-island specialist care no more than once annually. Such "regular off-island specialist care" would generally be associated with the employee’s vacation or business leave.

People who develop medical problems requiring special diagnostic or therapeutic treatment may be referred by a staff physician to specialists in Honolulu. E-mail consultations and video teleconferencing with Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, or other medical specialists, allows access to special-ists for patients at Kwajalein who require supplementary evaluation. USAKA guidelines limit formal referral status/benefits to patients with problems that may result in significant complications if specialty consultation is delayed longer than a few weeks.

The pharmacy has a basic stock of commonly used medications. Since not all brands of drugs are stocked on island, it is advisable to bring a supply of any over-the-counter drugs and prescription medications that are used regularly. Prescriptions must be paid for upon delivery and then submitted to the insurance company for reimbursement.

Physical Therapy services include evaluation and treatment of most acute and non-acute orthopedic and post operative injuries in an out-patient setting. Prospective residents should understand that the scope of Physical Therapy services is limited despite the presence of our well qualified professional staff; certain conditions may arise that are beyond the capabilities of local personnel due to limited resources, equipment and facilities. The clinic is staffed with a full time U.S. licensed Physical Therapist and limited consultations are available with a U.S. licensed Occupational Therapist.

A food safety/sanitation specialist is responsible for maintenance of health and sanitary standards for all food service facilities, including snack bars, dining and club facilities, and retail outlets. Health certifications of all food handlers, as well as inspection of food-handling equipment, food processing, transportation and storage, are included in the program. Bacteriological tests on potable and non-potable water samples are per-formed weekly in accordance with EPA guidelines.