Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Encyclopedia
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) was the United States Army's
flagship medical center until 2011. Located on 113 acres (457,000 m²) in Washington, D.C.
, it served more than 150,000 active and retired personnel from all branches of the military. The center was named after Major Walter Reed
(1851–1902), an army physician who led the team that confirmed that yellow fever
is transmitted by mosquito
es rather than direct contact.
Since its origins, the WRAMC medical care facility grew from a bed capacity of 80 patients to approximately 5,500 rooms covering more than 28 acres (113,000 m²) of floor space. WRAMC combined with the [National Naval Medical Center] at Bethesda by 2011 to form the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
(WRNMMC).
, located in southwest Washington, D.C. on land set aside by George Washington
as a military reservation, is the third oldest U.S. Army installation in continuous use in the United States after West Point and Carlisle Barracks
. Its position at the confluence of the Anacostia River
and the Potomac River
made it an excellent site for the defense of the nation's capital. Dating back to 1791, the post served as an arsenal, played an important role in the nation’s defense, and housed the first U.S. Federal Penitentiary
from 1839 to 1862.
Today, Fort McNair enjoys a strong tradition as the intellectual headquarters for defense. Furthermore, with unparalleled vistas of the picturesque waterfront and the opposing Virginia
shoreline, the historic health clinic at Fort McNair, the precursor of today's Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), overlooks the residences of top officials who choose the famed facility for the delivery of their health care
needs.
"Walter Reed's Clinic," the location of the present day health clinic at Washington D.C., occupies what was from 1898 until 1909 the General Hospital at what was then Washington Barracks, long before the post was renamed in honor of Lt. Gen. McNair who was killed in Normandy
in 1944 by friendly fire
. The hospital served as the forerunner of Walter Reed General Hospital; however, the Victorian era
waterfront dispensary
remains and is perhaps one of America's most historically significant military medical treatment facilities. It is reported that Walter Reed
lived and worked in the facility when he was assigned as Camp Surgeon from 1881 to 1882. After having served on other assignments, he returned as Professor of Medicine and Curator of the Army Medical Museum
. Some of his epidemiological work included studies at Washington Barracks, and he is best known for discovering the transmission of yellow fever
. In 1902, Major
Reed underwent emergency surgery here for appendicitis
and died of complications in this U.S. Army Medical Treatment Facility (MTF), within the very walls of what became his final military duty assignment.
Regarding the structure itself, since the 1890s the health clinic was used as an Army General Hospital where physicians, corpsmen and nurses were trained in military health care. In 1899, the morgue
was constructed which now houses the Dental
Clinic, and in 1901 the hospital became an entirely separate command
. This new organizational command relocated eight years later with the aide of horse drawn wagons and an experimental steam driven ambulance in 1909. Departing from the 50-bed hospital, as documented in The Army Nursing Newsletter, Volume 99, Issue 2, February 2000, they set out due north transporting with them 11 patients initially to the new 65-bed facility in the northern aspect of the capital. Having departed Ft. McNair, the organization has since developed into the Walter Reed Army Medical Center that we know today.
As for the facility they left behind at Fort McNair, it functioned in a smaller role as a post hospital until 1911 when the west wing was converted into a clinic. Today, this renovated medical treatment facility at Fort McNair continues its rich, uninterrupted heritage in providing a wide variety of state of the art health care to the capital region military community as an extension of WRAMC.
was the initiator, planner and effective mover for the creation, location, and first Congressional support of the Medical Center. Due to his efforts, the facility was nicknamed "Borden's Dream."
In 1923, General John J. Pershing
signed the War Department order creating the "Army Medical Center" (AMC) within the same campus as the WRGH. (At this time, the Army Medical School
was relocated from 604 Louisiana Avenue and became the "Medical Department Professional Service School" (MDPSS) in the new Building 40.) Pershing lived at Walter Reed from 1944 until his death there July 15, 1948.
In September 1951, "General Order Number 8" combined the WRGH with the AMC; the entire complex of 100 rose-brick Georgian
buildings was at that time renamed the "Walter Reed Army Medical Center" (WRAMC). In June 1955, the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
(AFIP) occupied the new Building 54 and, in November, what had been MDPSS was renamed the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
(WRAIR). 1964 saw the birth of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Nursing (WRAIN). Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower
died at WRAMC on March 28, 1969.
Starting in 1972, a huge new WRAMC building (Building 2) was constructed and made ready for occupation by 1977. WRAIR moved from Building 40 to a large new facility on the WRAMC Forest Glen Annex
in Maryland in 1999. Subsequently, Building 40 was slated for renovation under an enhanced use lease
by a private developer.
Today, the U.S. President
, Vice President
, Senators
and Representatives
may all receive care at this medical center. WRAMC is considered a tertiary care center and houses numerous medical and surgical specialties. It is part of the larger Walter Reed Health Care System
, which includes some ten other hospitals.
In 2007, the University of Pennsylvania
and WRAMC established a partnership whereby proton therapy
technology would be available to treat United States military personnel and veterans in the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine
's new Roberts Proton Therapy Center.
published a series of investigative articles outlining cases of alleged neglect (physical deterioration, bureaucratic nightmares, etc.) at WRAMC as reported by outpatient soldiers and their family members. A scandal and media furor quickly developed resulting in the firing of the WRAMC commanding general Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman
, the resignation of Secretary of the Army Francis J. Harvey
(reportedly at the request of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
), the forced resignation of Lt. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley, commander from 2002 to 2004, congressional committee hearings, and commentary from numerous politicians including President George W. Bush
and Vice-President Dick Cheney
. Several independent governmental investigations are ongoing and the controversy has spread to other military health facilities and the Department of Veterans Affairs
health care system.
announcement on May 13, 2005, the Department of Defense
proposed replacing Walter Reed Army Medical Center with a new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
(WRNMMC); the new center would be on the grounds of the National Naval Medical Center
in Bethesda, Maryland
, seven miles (11 km) from WRAMC's current location in Washington, D.C.
The proposal is part of a program to transform medical facilities into joint facilities, with staff including Army, Navy, and Air Force medical personnel.
On August 25, 2005, the BRAC Committee recommended passage of the plans for the WRNMMC. The transfer of services from the existing to the new facilities was gradual to allow for continuity of care for the thousands of service members, retirees and family members that depended upon WRAMC. The end of operations at the WRAMC facility occurred on August 27, 2011. The Army says the cost of closing that hospital and consolidating it with Bethesda Naval Medical Center in suburban Maryland more than doubled to $2.6 billion since the plan was announced in 2005 by the Base Realignment and Closing Commission (BRAC).
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
flagship medical center until 2011. Located on 113 acres (457,000 m²) in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, it served more than 150,000 active and retired personnel from all branches of the military. The center was named after Major Walter Reed
Walter Reed
Major Walter Reed, M.D., was a U.S. Army physician who in 1900 led the team that postulated and confirmed the theory that yellow fever is transmitted by a particular mosquito species, rather than by direct contact...
(1851–1902), an army physician who led the team that confirmed that yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
is transmitted by mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
es rather than direct contact.
Since its origins, the WRAMC medical care facility grew from a bed capacity of 80 patients to approximately 5,500 rooms covering more than 28 acres (113,000 m²) of floor space. WRAMC combined with the [National Naval Medical Center] at Bethesda by 2011 to form the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is a tri-service military medical center located on the Bethesda, Maryland, USA campus of the former National Naval Medical Center.-Leadership:Commander:Rear Admiral Alton L. Stocks, MD...
(WRNMMC).
Origins at Fort McNair
Fort Lesley J. McNairFort Lesley J. McNair
Fort Lesley J. McNair is a United States Army post located on the tip of a peninsula that lies at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. To its west is the Washington Channel, while the Anacostia River is on its south side...
, located in southwest Washington, D.C. on land set aside by George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
as a military reservation, is the third oldest U.S. Army installation in continuous use in the United States after West Point and Carlisle Barracks
Carlisle Barracks
Carlisle Barracks is a United States Army facility located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It is part of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and is the site of the U.S. Army War College...
. Its position at the confluence of the Anacostia River
Anacostia River
The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. It is approximately long...
and the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
made it an excellent site for the defense of the nation's capital. Dating back to 1791, the post served as an arsenal, played an important role in the nation’s defense, and housed the first U.S. Federal Penitentiary
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
from 1839 to 1862.
Today, Fort McNair enjoys a strong tradition as the intellectual headquarters for defense. Furthermore, with unparalleled vistas of the picturesque waterfront and the opposing Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
shoreline, the historic health clinic at Fort McNair, the precursor of today's Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), overlooks the residences of top officials who choose the famed facility for the delivery of their health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
needs.
"Walter Reed's Clinic," the location of the present day health clinic at Washington D.C., occupies what was from 1898 until 1909 the General Hospital at what was then Washington Barracks, long before the post was renamed in honor of Lt. Gen. McNair who was killed in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
in 1944 by friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
. The hospital served as the forerunner of Walter Reed General Hospital; however, the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
waterfront dispensary
Dispensary
A dispensary is an office in a school, hospital or other organization that dispenses medications and medical supplies. In a traditional dispensary set-up a pharmacist dispenses medication as per prescription or order form....
remains and is perhaps one of America's most historically significant military medical treatment facilities. It is reported that Walter Reed
Walter Reed
Major Walter Reed, M.D., was a U.S. Army physician who in 1900 led the team that postulated and confirmed the theory that yellow fever is transmitted by a particular mosquito species, rather than by direct contact...
lived and worked in the facility when he was assigned as Camp Surgeon from 1881 to 1882. After having served on other assignments, he returned as Professor of Medicine and Curator of the Army Medical Museum
Army Medical Museum
Army Medical Museum:*National Museum of Health and Medicine -United States*Army Medical Museum...
. Some of his epidemiological work included studies at Washington Barracks, and he is best known for discovering the transmission of yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
. In 1902, Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Reed underwent emergency surgery here for appendicitis
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
and died of complications in this U.S. Army Medical Treatment Facility (MTF), within the very walls of what became his final military duty assignment.
Regarding the structure itself, since the 1890s the health clinic was used as an Army General Hospital where physicians, corpsmen and nurses were trained in military health care. In 1899, the morgue
Morgue
A morgue or mortuary is used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification, or removal for autopsy or disposal by burial, cremation or otherwise...
was constructed which now houses the Dental
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
Clinic, and in 1901 the hospital became an entirely separate command
Command (military formation)
A command in military terminology is an organisational unit that the individual in Military command has responsibility for. A Commander will normally be specifically appointed into the role in order to provide a legal framework for the authority bestowed...
. This new organizational command relocated eight years later with the aide of horse drawn wagons and an experimental steam driven ambulance in 1909. Departing from the 50-bed hospital, as documented in The Army Nursing Newsletter, Volume 99, Issue 2, February 2000, they set out due north transporting with them 11 patients initially to the new 65-bed facility in the northern aspect of the capital. Having departed Ft. McNair, the organization has since developed into the Walter Reed Army Medical Center that we know today.
As for the facility they left behind at Fort McNair, it functioned in a smaller role as a post hospital until 1911 when the west wing was converted into a clinic. Today, this renovated medical treatment facility at Fort McNair continues its rich, uninterrupted heritage in providing a wide variety of state of the art health care to the capital region military community as an extension of WRAMC.
Walter Reed General Hospital and WRAMC
Congressional legislation authorized construction of Walter Reed General Hospital (WRGH, now known as "Building 1") and the first ten patients were admitted on May 1, 1909. Lieutenant Colonel William Cline BordenWilliam Cline Borden
William Cline Borden was an American surgeon who was a key planner behind the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.According to the medical center website, Borden "was the initiator, planner and effective mover for the creation, location, and first Congressional support of the Medical Center." For this...
was the initiator, planner and effective mover for the creation, location, and first Congressional support of the Medical Center. Due to his efforts, the facility was nicknamed "Borden's Dream."
In 1923, General John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
signed the War Department order creating the "Army Medical Center" (AMC) within the same campus as the WRGH. (At this time, the Army Medical School
Army Medical School
Founded by U.S. Army Brigadier General George Miller Sternberg, MD in 1893, the Army Medical School was by some reckonings the world's first school of public health and preventive medicine...
was relocated from 604 Louisiana Avenue and became the "Medical Department Professional Service School" (MDPSS) in the new Building 40.) Pershing lived at Walter Reed from 1944 until his death there July 15, 1948.
In September 1951, "General Order Number 8" combined the WRGH with the AMC; the entire complex of 100 rose-brick Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
buildings was at that time renamed the "Walter Reed Army Medical Center" (WRAMC). In June 1955, the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology was a US government institution concerned with diagnostic consultation, education, and research in the medical specialty of pathology. It was founded in 1862 as the Army Medical Museum and was located in Washington, DC on the grounds of the Walter Reed Army...
(AFIP) occupied the new Building 54 and, in November, what had been MDPSS was renamed the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
This article is about the U.S. Army medical research institute . Otherwise, see Walter Reed .The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research is the largest biomedical research facility administered by the U.S. Department of Defense...
(WRAIR). 1964 saw the birth of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Nursing (WRAIN). Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
died at WRAMC on March 28, 1969.
Starting in 1972, a huge new WRAMC building (Building 2) was constructed and made ready for occupation by 1977. WRAIR moved from Building 40 to a large new facility on the WRAMC Forest Glen Annex
Forest Glen Annex
The Forest Glen Annex is a U.S. Army installation in the Forest Glen neighborhood of Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. It is situated between Brookville Road and Linden Lane...
in Maryland in 1999. Subsequently, Building 40 was slated for renovation under an enhanced use lease
Enhanced use lease
In the United States Enhanced Use Lease is a method for funding construction or renovations on military property by allowing a private developer to lease underutilized property, with rent paid by the developer in the form of cash or in-kind services. Currently, EULs are used by the Department of...
by a private developer.
Today, the U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
, Senators
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
may all receive care at this medical center. WRAMC is considered a tertiary care center and houses numerous medical and surgical specialties. It is part of the larger Walter Reed Health Care System
Walter Reed Health Care System
The Walter Reed Health Care System is the United States Army's comprehensive and integrated health care delivery system for the National Capital Region. It provides the full range of health care to members of the military and their families as well as members of the federal government...
, which includes some ten other hospitals.
In 2007, the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
and WRAMC established a partnership whereby proton therapy
Proton therapy
Proton therapy is a type of particle therapy which uses a beam of protons to irradiate diseased tissue, most often in the treatment of cancer. The chief advantage of proton therapy is the ability to more precisely localize the radiation dosage when compared with other types of external beam...
technology would be available to treat United States military personnel and veterans in the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine
Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine
The Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine is located at 34th and Civic Center Blvd, on the former site of the Philadelphia Civic Center, on the campus of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The $302-million project was designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects and completed in 2008...
's new Roberts Proton Therapy Center.
2007 neglect scandal
In February 2007, The Washington PostThe Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
published a series of investigative articles outlining cases of alleged neglect (physical deterioration, bureaucratic nightmares, etc.) at WRAMC as reported by outpatient soldiers and their family members. A scandal and media furor quickly developed resulting in the firing of the WRAMC commanding general Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman
George W. Weightman
Major General George W. Weightman was a U.S. Army Family Medicine physician who was commander of the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter Reed Army Medical Center . He was relieved of his WRAMC command on March 1, 2007, in the wake of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center neglect...
, the resignation of Secretary of the Army Francis J. Harvey
Francis J. Harvey
Francis Joseph Harvey served as the 19th Secretary of the United States Army from November 19, 2004 to March 9, 2007.-Education and family:Harvey was born and raised in Latrobe, Pennsylvania...
(reportedly at the request of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
Robert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
), the forced resignation of Lt. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley, commander from 2002 to 2004, congressional committee hearings, and commentary from numerous politicians including President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and Vice-President Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
. Several independent governmental investigations are ongoing and the controversy has spread to other military health facilities and the Department of Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
health care system.
2005 BRAC recommendation and 2011 closure
As part of a Base Realignment and ClosureBase Realignment and Closure, 2005
The preliminary 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It is the fifth Base Realignment and Closure proposal generated since the process was created in 1988. It recommends closing 33 major United States military bases and...
announcement on May 13, 2005, the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
proposed replacing Walter Reed Army Medical Center with a new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is a tri-service military medical center located on the Bethesda, Maryland, USA campus of the former National Naval Medical Center.-Leadership:Commander:Rear Admiral Alton L. Stocks, MD...
(WRNMMC); the new center would be on the grounds of the National Naval Medical Center
National Naval Medical Center
The National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, USA — commonly known as the Bethesda Naval Hospital — was for decades the flagship of the United States Navy's system of medical centers. A federal institution, it conducted medical and dental research as well as providing health care for...
in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, seven miles (11 km) from WRAMC's current location in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
The proposal is part of a program to transform medical facilities into joint facilities, with staff including Army, Navy, and Air Force medical personnel.
On August 25, 2005, the BRAC Committee recommended passage of the plans for the WRNMMC. The transfer of services from the existing to the new facilities was gradual to allow for continuity of care for the thousands of service members, retirees and family members that depended upon WRAMC. The end of operations at the WRAMC facility occurred on August 27, 2011. The Army says the cost of closing that hospital and consolidating it with Bethesda Naval Medical Center in suburban Maryland more than doubled to $2.6 billion since the plan was announced in 2005 by the Base Realignment and Closing Commission (BRAC).
Tenants
In addition to the WRAMC hospital complex, the WRAMC installation hosts a number of other related activities and organizations.- The North Atlantic Regional Medical Command
- The North Atlantic Regional Dental Command
- The Armed Forces Institute of PathologyArmed Forces Institute of PathologyThe Armed Forces Institute of Pathology was a US government institution concerned with diagnostic consultation, education, and research in the medical specialty of pathology. It was founded in 1862 as the Army Medical Museum and was located in Washington, DC on the grounds of the Walter Reed Army...
(AFIP) - The DOD Deployment Health Clinical Center
- The National Museum of Health and MedicineNational Museum of Health and MedicineThe National Museum of Health and Medicine is a museum in Silver Spring, Maryland, near Washington, D.C., USA. An element of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, the NMHM is a member of the National Health Sciences Consortium....
(NMHM), co-located in the same building with the AFIP. The NMHM is to move to the Army's Forest Glen AnnexForest Glen AnnexThe Forest Glen Annex is a U.S. Army installation in the Forest Glen neighborhood of Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. It is situated between Brookville Road and Linden Lane...
in Maryland by 2011. - The Borden InstituteBorden InstituteThe Borden Institute is a U.S. Army “Center of Excellence in Military Medical Research and Education” located on the grounds of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center , in Washington, DC....
, a "Center of Excellence in Military Medical Research and Education". - The Walter Reed Army Institute of ResearchWalter Reed Army Institute of ResearchThis article is about the U.S. Army medical research institute . Otherwise, see Walter Reed .The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research is the largest biomedical research facility administered by the U.S. Department of Defense...
(WRAIR), formerly in Building 40 on the Georgia Avenue campus. This medical research institute moved to WRAMC's Forest GlenForest Glen AnnexThe Forest Glen Annex is a U.S. Army installation in the Forest Glen neighborhood of Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. It is situated between Brookville Road and Linden Lane...
, Maryland annex in 1999. In 2008, authority over the Annex was transferred to Fort DetrickFort DetrickFort Detrick is a U.S. Army Medical Command installation located in Frederick, Maryland, USA. Historically, Fort Detrick was the center for the United States' biological weapons program ....
in preparation for WRAMC's 2011 move/closure.
Commanding officers
- Major GeneralMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Carla G. Hawley-Bowland 2007–2011 - Major General Eric SchoomakerEric SchoomakerLieutenant General Eric B. Schoomaker, United States Army is the 42nd Surgeon General of the United States Army and Commanding General, United States Army Medical Command, and a practicing hematologist. He previously served as Commanding General, North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter...
2007 - Major General George W. WeightmanGeorge W. WeightmanMajor General George W. Weightman was a U.S. Army Family Medicine physician who was commander of the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter Reed Army Medical Center . He was relieved of his WRAMC command on March 1, 2007, in the wake of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center neglect...
2006–2007 - Major General Kenneth L. Farmer, Jr.Kenneth L. Farmer, Jr.Major General Kenneth Lloyd Farmer Jr. commanded Walter Reed Army Medical Center and North Atlantic Regional Medical Command from June 2004 to August 2006.-Biography:...
2004–2006 - Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant GeneralLieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Kevin C. KileyKevin C. KileyMajor General Kevin C. Kiley was the 41st Surgeon General of the United States Army and commander of the U.S. Army Medical Command, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He was commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center and North Atlantic Regional Medical Command twice, from 2002 to 2004, and as acting...
2002–2004, acting 2007 - Major General Robert BernsteinRobert BernsteinRobert Bernstein , sometimes credited as R. Berns, was an American comic book writer. He is best known for his work superhero work on DC Comics' Superman, and in establishing the origin and most of the mythos of Aquaman....
1973–1978 - Major General Harold L. Timboe
External links
- Official Walter Reed Army Medical Center website
- 20 July 2011 News "Storied US military hospital to close its doors
- Walter Reed and Beyond – A Washington Post Investigation
- Wounded Soldiers Hotline
- BRAC 2005: DoD Uses Process to Revamp Medical System
- Soldiers face neglect, frustration at army's top medical facility
- Award winning student film on the controversy at Walter Reed
- Video of William Shatner making plea for the public's assistance on behalf of the conditions at Walter Reed Medical Center