Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms to launch walk-in cervical cancer screening services

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. — Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms will begin offering walk-in cervical cancer screening services Nov. 9, 2026, expanding access to preventive healthcare for service members, military families and other eligible beneficiaries.

The new service will be available every Monday from 9 a.m. to noon at Clinic B (OB-GYN), allowing patients to receive routine cervical cancer screenings without scheduling an appointment in advance.

“Our goal is to make preventive care easier to access and help patients stay current with recommended screenings,” said Cmdr. Stacie Groves, Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms director for medical services. “Cancer can be a frightening diagnosis. Screening for cervical cancer gives patients and clinicians an opportunity to identify concerns earlier.”

The walk-in service will provide Pap tests and human papillomavirus (HPV) co-testing when clinically appropriate. Patients can also discuss their screening history, receive education about recommended screening intervals and learn about any necessary follow-up care.

Cmdr. Cheryl Castro, Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms chief nursing officer, who will also serve as a midwife during the walk-in hours, said the initiative builds on successful programs she previously implemented at Naval Hospital Bremerton and Naval Medical Center San Diego.

Castro said those programs helped address a common challenge in preventive healthcare: patients having to return on another day for routine screening.

“Routine cervical cancer screening is important because early cervical changes often cause no symptoms,” Castro said. “A person can feel completely healthy while abnormal cells are developing.”

Cervical cancer screening can identify abnormal cells and allow intervention as indicated before they develop into cancer, making routine screening an important part of preventive healthcare even for patients who are not experiencing symptoms.

For patients at average risk, commonly used screening guidelines recommend a Pap test every three years for those ages 21 to 29. For patients ages 30 to 65, screening options include a Pap test every three years, primary high-risk HPV testing every five years, or Pap and HPV co-testing every five years. Screening recommendations may differ depending on individual risk factors, medical history, previous results and facility resources.

Castro encouraged eligible beneficiaries who are due for screening, uncertain about their screening history or unable to arrange a routine primary care appointment to take advantage of the new service.

“If you are due — or unsure whether you are due — for cervical screening, our midwife-led clinic can help,” Castro said. “Midwives provide routine screening, answer questions, review results and coordinate follow-up with other healthcare professionals when needed.”

Following screening, patients will receive their results and follow-up recommendations through the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal. The care team will also advise patients when their next screening is due based on their age, screening results, medical history and applicable guidelines. Patients experiencing symptoms or receiving abnormal results may require additional evaluation.

Groves said offering walk-in hours helps eliminate barriers that can prevent patients from receiving recommended preventive care.

“Walk-in hours offer another way to access screening and reduce the need to arrange a separate appointment in advance,” Groves said. “That flexibility can help patients fit preventive care around work, military duties, family responsibilities and other demands.”

The initiative also supports the Defense Health Agency's mission to improve access to high-quality healthcare while maintaining the medical readiness of service members and their families.

“By improving access to preventive care, we directly support the health and readiness of women in uniform and indirectly strengthen our readiness by supporting the health of our warfighters' families,” Groves said. “Healthy service members and families sustain a ready force.”

Walk-in cervical cancer screening services begin Monday, Nov. 9, and will be available every Monday from 9 a.m. to noon, excluding federal holidays. Patients should check in at the Clinic B front desk upon arrival. Screenings will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

For additional information, beneficiaries can contact Clinic B directly at 760-830-2227.

Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Twentynine Palms operates Defense Health Agency military treatment facility Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms, which delivers safe, high-quality healthcare to service members and their families. The command supports the health and readiness of warfighters at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, the Marine Corps’ largest live-fire training installation, while readying Navy Medicine personnel to provide expeditionary medical support around the world.

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