FORT JOHNSON, La. —Bayne-Jones increased access to care at Army State Hospital, Joint Readiness Training Center, and obstetrics and gynecological health clinic for Soldiers and Families at Fort Johnson, Louisiana.

BJACH welcomes three new medical providers specializing in gynecology and obstetrics at the women’s clinic on the fourth floor of the military medical treatment facility. Captain Christina Bell, Captain Victoria Conniff and Captain Briana Thurmond joined the team in September and quickly began working to improve beneficiaries’ access to care.

Patient and staff feedback has been positive through interactive customer reviews. One patient said she had an extremely positive experience throughout her pregnancy and birth.

“The doctors and nurses during the appointments were amazing,” she said. “Dr. Thurmond was very kind, caring, and informative during my birth and postpartum care.”

A staff member welcomed new doctors through ICE.

“Dr. Thurmond, Dr. Conniff and Dr. “They are friendly, team players,” Bell said. “We are seeing great things from these ladies and I know we will continue to see more!”

Captain Christina Bell is the officer in charge of the BJACH OB/GYN clinic. He received his undergraduate degree from Howard University and then the Medical College of Georgia.

Bell said giving birth to a baby was always a childhood dream.

“The female body can do amazing things,” she said.

Bell said the fully staffed clinic is great news for the community and preparedness.

“Not only are our female Soldiers incredibly important and deserving of great attention, but so are the wives, daughters and Family members of our active-duty male Soldiers,” he said. “When Soldiers know their Families are well cared for, they can better focus on the mission at hand.”

Capt. Victoria Conniff, an attending physician at the BJACH OB/GYN clinic, joins the team from Kentucky, where she earned her undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Louisville.

Conniff said his mother, a critical care nurse, inspired him to study medicine at a young age.

“I became interested in high school and shadowed an OB/GYN who is still a great mentor to me today,” she said. “I’ve always thought pregnancy was fascinating. OB/GYN is a great field with tons of diversity. We see patients in the clinic, perform major and minor procedures in the operating room, deliver babies, and much more. We never get bored!”

In addition to providing maternity care, the clinic also offers gynecological health care services, including well-woman and birth control exams, Conniff said.

“As Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialists, we offer a wide range of services,” he said. “It is important to have a fully staffed team that can perform labor and delivery, clinic and GYN surgeries simultaneously without compromising patient safety.”

Capt. Briana Thurmond, an attending physician at the BJACH women’s clinic, received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Akron and attended Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Thurmond echoed Conniff, saying all staff ensure the safety of all patients.

“Gaining women’s trust and helping them through the most vulnerable times of their health journey is the most rewarding part of my job,” she said.

Thurmond said he was pleased with women’s health.

“Listening to concerns, educating patients about their health, and helping them work toward solutions is what motivated me to become a physician,” he said. “I especially love the focus on women and how versatile the OB/GYN specialty is clinically, surgically and obstetrically.”

BJACH offers a variety of gynecological, obstetric and pregnancy services through referral to all TRICARE Prime beneficiaries, as well as a walk-in birth control clinic on the first and third Thursday of each month from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

For more information about women’s health services, visit the BJACH website at bayne-jones.tricare.mil.