2-13. FILING HEALTH RECORDS
a. HREC Files. Health Records are filed at the MTF that provides primary
medical/dental care. Primary care means sick call level care provided to a member.
For example, the troop clinic or ambulatory health clinic is considered primary care.
Clinics are medical treatment activities that are staffed and equipped to provide
emergency treatment activities that are staffed and equipped to provide emergency
treatment and ambulatory services as well as perform nontherapeutic activities related
to the health of the personnel serviced.
(1) HRECs may be filed alphabetically or in terminal digit sequence. Lesson
1 describes the Terminal Digit Filing System in detail.
(2) A chargeout system is used when the HREC is temporarily removed from
the records room. The chargeout system is described in detail in Lesson 1.
b. Keeping HREC Files Current.
The following procedures are followed to
keep HREC files current at an MTF:
(1) The MEDCEN/MEDAC/DENTAC commander and division surgeon will
give the military personnel office (MILPO) a list of MTFs and the units they serve.
(2) The MILPO will give the MTFs personnel rosters of the units they service
quarterly.
(3) HREC files for active duty personnel are screened semiannually against
current personnel rosters. This will ensure that the file holds only the records of
personnel served by the MTF. When an HREC or medical form is found to be held by
the wrong custodian, MTF record personnel will send the documents to the current
custodian.
c. Handling Identifiable HRECs and Medical Forms. When a record or form
contains enough information that it can be identified as belonging to a specific person,
it is an identifiable dorm. To keep files current, identifiable HRECs and forms are
handled as follows:
(1) When a member outprocesses at an MTF, the MTF will give the serving
MILPO his HREC. This is done so that it can be sent with the Military Personnel Record
Jacket to the new custodian. When the HREC is sent to the MILPO, the MTF will
record the new custodian so that any late-arriving medical records (i.e., laboratory slips,
SF 600, etc.) can be sent to him. The new custodian may be recorded in chargeout
folders in the files, in log books, etc. Local procedure will be used.
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