JANUARY 26, 2026 — Walter’s Way did not begin as a finished program. It began as a provider-led vision shaped by multiple clinicians, including Deputy Director for Medical Services U.S. Army Lt. Col. Elizabeth Simmons, one of the original leaders who helped spearhead the model at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
“Walter’s Way started as an innovative approach to My Military Health as a way to provide access to health care in a way that is most meaningful to patients and care teams,” said Simmons. “It reimagines the patient and staff experience flexibility, access and whole-person care.”
Simmons guided the effort serving as the Pediatric Primary Care Medical Home Service chief and later as Primary Care lead for Walter’s Way after stepping into her current role as deputy director.
From the beginning, she said the program required a complete shift in thinking.
“The main challenge was that it completely changed the way we looked at the primary care and how to get patients the care they needed in the way they needed and the time they needed,” Simmons said.
Walter’s Way required departments to redesign workflows and establish internal call and triage centers. Staffing limitations added pressure.
“We had volunteers come work in Walter’s Way as we were not able to hire any additional staff to start this new mission,” said Simmons
Today, she said the impact is clear.
“Walter’s Way is working incredibly well for the primary care teams, and we are thrilled to report that our patients also love Walter’s Way too,” Simmons said.
Primary care teams now manage more than 5,000 calls each month through the system, handling medical advice, appointment requests, medication refills and other needs. Simmons said that volume reflects patient trust and familiarity with the process.
“The overall process has not changed much, but it has become more efficient as the team is now familiar with the best way to serve our patients,“ said Simmons. “The biggest change is now the volume of calls as patients become more familiar with process.”
For Simmons, the team’s growth has been the most rewarding part.
“I’m incredibly proud of how much the Walter’s Way teams have grown and blossomed since the initial roll out,” said Simmons.
Looking ahead, she sees Walter’s Way continuing to reshape care across Walter Reed as it keeps extending to the different departments in the hospital.
Future plans include improvements to the phone system and expanding the model beyond the current department that has already adopted it. Simmons also hopes Walter Reed can share lessons learned with other military treatment facilities.
Patient and staff are encouraged to continue using Walter’s Way and sharing feedback as the program continues to evolve and improve access of care. Additionally, Patients can reach Walter’s Way call center at 301-295-8901. For more information, visit walterreed.tricare.mil/waltersway.
Story by Roan Smith
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center