Hundreds of patients at Naval Hospital Bremerton will be transferred into the civilian health system due to the hospital only having one physician in its internal medicine clinic for the last three months.

TRICARE for Life patients, a health insurance plan designed for military retirees and their eligible dependents that supplements Medicare, are transitioning into the surrounding network with providers, doctor offices and medical clinics, per a Navy news release. Those patients are still eligible for services at NHB, including the urgent care clinic, pharmacy, and more.

The hospital’s IM clinic currently only has one physician for over 2,000 patients enrolled. Capt. Molly Jenkins, NHB executive officer said in the release that the hospital is working with its Military Health System and Defense Health Network Pacific Rim to fill those positions, noting there is a shortage of primary care providers, including internal medicine doctors across the United States.

“We did not make this decision lightly and have been studying this issue for months,” Jenkins said.