JANUARY 6, 2026 — Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is seeing early gains from Walter’s Way, a new access-to-care model designed to make it easier for patients to get the right care at the right time. While the initiative is still being evaluated, early data and feedback suggest the changes are improving patient experience, appointment access, and clinic efficiency.
Walter’s Way focuses on proactive booking, extended clinic hours, and giving patients a direct way to reach care teams. Together, these changes are intended to reduce delays, limit unnecessary appointments, and help patients navigate the system with ease.
One method leaders are using to measure the program’s impact are appointment “heat maps,” which show how many appointments occur by the hour. These maps allow clinics to compare access before and after extended hours were added, particularly in the early morning and evening. Early reviews show improved use of appointment slots during those expanded hours.
Patient feedback has been strongly positive. Walter’s Way now provides patients with a dedicated phone number, allowing them to speak with a real person rather than navigating automated systems.
“Our patients love Walter’s Way,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Elizabeth Simmons, deputy director for the department of medicine and primary care lead for Walter’s Way. “We hand out our sheet to all the parents and circle and say, ‘Look, you can talk to a real person.’ And I think that makes the biggest difference. They’re super happy.”
Clinics have also reported operational improvements behind the scenes. Proactive booking has reduced appointment cancellations and helped ensure patients are scheduled in the correct clinic the first time. Specialty areas such as oncology have seen improved referral flow and increased patient awareness that care is available at Walter Reed.
“Patients want to receive their care here, but they need to know access is available.” said U.S. Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Karen Zeman, oncology service chief. “Walter’s Way helps proactively connect with patients and bring their care back to Walter Reed.”
In specialty clinics like Cardiology, leaders are exploring how referral review and protocol-driven care could further reduce wait time. For example, patients with heart murmurs may be scheduled for diagnostic testing before seeing a specialist, eliminating unnecessary visits and speeding up time-to-care.
Walter’s Way leaders are continuing to refine success metrics, including appointment availability, time to specialty care, patient satisfaction, and provider workload. Additional data analysis is underway to ensure the program delivers sustainable improvements across the medical center.
Walter’s Way helps patients get the right care at the right time. Patients can reach Walter’s Way call center line at 301-295-8901. For more information, visit https://walterreed.tricare.mil/waltersway.
Story by Roan Smith
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center