Have you reviewed your TRICARE coverage for 2024? Now is the time, because TRICARE Open Season ends Dec. 12. Open season may be your only chance to enroll in TRICARE coverage or change your health plan for 2024.

For many people, the holiday season brings expectations of joy. But for some, the holidays may be a time of stress, sadness, or isolation. Life events like the deployment of a spouse, the loss of a loved one, and complex family dynamics can affect how we feel during the holiday season.

TRICARE Open Season is here. Now through Dec. 12, most people enrolled in or eligible for TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select can make enrollment changes for next year. Open season doesn’t apply to everyone who uses TRICARE.

No matter where you live or travel, it’s important to have the prescription drugs you need. To help make this possible, your TRICARE pharmacy benefit is available worldwide. But overseas, your pharmacy options may vary.

Retirees and their Families are invited to attend the Fort Novosel Retiree Health Fair on Friday, October 27 from 8:00 a.m. to noon at Yano Hall on Fort Novosel. Lyster Army Health Clinic will host the annual health fair for the military retiree community. Retirees will be able to talk with medical professionals, receive their flu vaccination (pending its arrival), and have mini health evaluations such as blood pressure checks. Lyster Army Health Clinic along with other agencies will have displays to educate Retirees on disease management, physical therapy, nutrition, volunteer opportunities, and other health and wellness related topics. The Retiree Health Fair will also feature several on-post agencies including the Defense Commissary Agency (DECA), Exchange, Staff Judge Advocate, and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) programs. Participants will have educational opportunities including resources for veteran services and more.

How do dentists prepare for patients at Brown Dental Clinic at Fort Novosel? If it’s a four-legged patient, then you’ll see a collaboration between the installation’s dental and veterinary teams. Recently, Capt. Blakely McCormick, DMD, from Brown Dental Clinic joined Capt. Jacquelynn Watson, DVM, from the Fort Novosel Veterinary Clinic, for the semi-annual dental exams and cleanings on the military working dogs (MWD) at Fort Novosel.

It’s time to get your flu vaccination. Lyster Army Health Clinic kicks off the 2023 Flu Campaign in October to protect individuals from influenza, its complications, and to prevent the potential spreading of the disease. Reducing the spread of respiratory illnesses like flu, this fall and winter, is important to maintaining mission readiness. It takes the body about two weeks to build antibodies against the influenza virus after vaccination, which is why getting the flu shot early is ideal.

In recognition of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, staff from the Behavioral Health Department at Lyster Army Health Clinic brought together members of the Fort Novosel community for a Remembrance Walk on September 27. The walk provided an opportunity to join together as a community in raising awareness on suicide prevention, remembering those who were lost to suicide, provide support and resources, and build connections with one another.