Claire Dawson
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), officially known as Walter Reed General Hospital (WRGH) until 1951, was the U.S. Army's flagship medical center from 1909 to 2011. Located in Washington, D.C., it served more than 150,000 active and retired personnel from all branches of the United States Armed Forces. In 2011, the WRAMC was combined with the National Naval Medical Center to form the tri-service Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC). This medical center is one of the largest and most prominent military medical centers in the United States.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) |
| Other Names | Walter Reed General Hospital (WRGH), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) |
| Type | Military Hospital |
| Location | Washington, D.C. (formerly), Bethesda, Maryland (currently) |
| Year Established | 1909 (as WRGH), 2011 (as WRNMMC) |
| Named After | Army Maj. Walter Reed, a U.S. Army physician and researcher of yellow fever |
| Size | 113 acres, 5,500 rooms, 28 acres of floor space |
| Served | More than 150,000 active and retired personnel from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces |
| Features | Presidential office suite, METU Suite for presidents and vice presidents |
| Funding | Government-funded |
| R&D Focus | Trauma care, battlefield medicine, military-specific treatments |
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What You'll Learn
History of Walter Reed Hospital
The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), formerly known as the National Naval Medical Center and colloquially referred to as Bethesda Naval Hospital, is a United States military medical center located in Bethesda, Maryland. It is one of the largest and most prominent military medical centers in the United States. The center was named after Walter Reed, a U.S. Army physician and Major who led the team that confirmed that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes rather than direct physical contact.
The original Army medical center, the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), was founded in 1909 and named for Major Walter Reed (1851–1902). During World Wars I and II, and the Korean and Vietnam Wars, tens of thousands of active-duty and retired soldiers were treated on its campus. The facility treated more than 750,000 patients each year, including veterans and their families. Since its origins, the medical care facility grew from 80 beds to a 5,500-room facility that covered more than 28 acres of floor space.
The campus was closed in 2011 under the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission process. On November 17, 2016, the U.S. Army transferred 11.85 acres of the campus to Children's National Hospital. 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 chose the famed facility for their health care needs. "Walter Reed's Clinic," the location of the present-day health clinic in 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 1944.
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. In 1909, the new organizational command relocated with the aid of horse-drawn wagons and an experimental steam-driven ambulance. They set out from the 50-bed hospital, transporting 11 patients to the new 65-bed facility in the northern aspect of the capital. The facility they left behind at Fort McNair functioned in a smaller role as a post hospital until 1911 when the west wing was converted into a clinic.
In 2011, the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) was combined with the National Naval Medical Center to form the tri-service Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
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Walter Reed's contributions to medicine
Walter Reed was an American Army Surgeon and Major, whose most notable contribution to medicine was his discovery of the causes of yellow fever. He led experiments that proved that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes. This is considered one of the most important contributions to the field of medicine and human history.
During the Spanish-American War, more American soldiers died from yellow fever and other diseases than from combat. After the war, the disease continued to ravage both Cubans and the American occupation force. Reed's experiments and subsequent actions helped curb and eventually eradicate yellow fever, paving the way for future operations in similar environments. He ordered his team to fumigate every building in Havana and identified collections of water where mosquitoes might breed. He had those sources screened or drained and even spread oil on the water surfaces. As a result, cases of yellow fever drastically fell, and by 1902, there were no reported cases.
Reed also contributed to the understanding of typhoid fever. He wrote the "Report on the Origin and Spread of Typhoid Fever in US Military Camps During the Spanish War of 1898" with Victor C. Vaughn and Edwin O. Shakespeare. The National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland, holds a collection of his papers regarding typhoid fever studies.
In addition to his medical research, Reed held teaching positions. In 1893, he joined the faculty of the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the newly opened Army Medical School in Washington, D.C., where he was a professor of Bacteriology and Clinical Microscopy. He also served as the curator of the Army Medical Museum, later renamed the National Museum of Health and Medicine (NMHM).
Reed's contributions to medicine have been recognized through various honours, including the Walter Reed Medal, awarded posthumously in 1912, and a tropical medicine course named after him. Harvard University also awarded him an honorary M.A. shortly before his death in 1902.
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Services offered at Walter Reed
The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) is a tri-service military medical center in Bethesda, Maryland, formed in 2011 by the merger of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) and the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC). The center is named after Walter Reed, a researcher who specialized in yellow fever.
Since its opening, the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center has provided medical evaluations and treatments for U.S. presidents and vice presidents. The center includes a presidential office suite with a sitting room, kitchen, conference room, hospital bedroom, and an office for the White House Chief of Staff. The Medical Evaluation and Treatment Unit (METU) Suite is a secured and autonomous ward within the complex.
The center also offers adult rehab programs, including the Adult Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic, which provides a full range of outpatient behavioral health services. These services include evaluation, medication management, and various modalities of therapy, such as individual, couples, and group therapy. The rehab programs are tailored to each client's specific needs, goals, and recovery progress, addressing challenges such as family and work pressures and co-occurring conditions like anxiety.
In addition to its rehab services, the Walter Reed Society, founded in 1996, supports the educational, patient, treatment, and research activities of the medical center. The society has over 600 members and works to make a difference in the lives of veterans, including through initiatives like Leashes of Valor, which trains service dogs for veterans facing serious challenges.
The Walter Reed Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Virginia provides rehabilitation and long-term nursing care for the elderly, including memory care. The center is known for its caring and attentive staff, who work collaboratively with families to meet the needs of their residents.
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Funding for military hospitals
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), also known as the Walter Reed General Hospital (WRGH) until 1951, was the flagship medical center for the U.S. Army from 1909 to 2011. It was named after Walter Reed, an Army physician and Major who discovered that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes. The hospital has a rich history, with Reed himself living and working at the facility, and it has served over 150,000 active and retired personnel from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
In 2011, WRAMC combined with the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, to form the tri-service Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC). This new center is located on the grounds of the former National Naval Medical Center, just seven miles from the original WRAMC location in Washington, D.C.
Now, onto the funding aspect of military hospitals. The Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for funding military hospitals and has proposed budgets to initiate reforms and 'civilianize' military hospitals. The proposed DoD medical budget for fiscal 2021 was $50.8 billion, a decrease of 1.2% from the previous year. This decrease is partly due to the elimination of $1.6 billion in research funding, which was part of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program.
The budget reforms aim to place service medical commands in charge of providing healthcare for uniformed personnel, giving oversight of all military hospitals to the Defense Health Agency (DHA). This means that some non-uniformed beneficiaries will continue receiving care at military facilities from civilian staff, while others will transition to local network providers. However, in remote areas where community services are unavailable, military hospitals will continue caring for all beneficiaries.
The 'civilianization' of military hospitals has already begun in some locations, with military hospitals at Fort Knox, Fort Jackson, and Fort Sill downgraded to outpatient clinics, impacting approximately 200,000 beneficiaries. These changes are outlined in memos sent by DHA officials to commanders of military treatment facilities.
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Walter Reed's influence on military medicine
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), formerly known as Walter Reed General Hospital (WRGH), is a military hospital. It was the U.S. Army's flagship medical center from 1909 to 2011, serving over 150,000 active and retired personnel from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
The hospital is named after Walter Reed, a U.S. Army physician and Major who made significant contributions to military medicine. Reed joined the U.S. Army Medical Corps in 1875 and served in various outposts, treating American military personnel, their dependents, and Native American tribes. He was promoted to Major in 1893 and became a professor of bacteriology and clinical microscopy at the Army Medical School in Washington, D.C. He also served as the curator of the Army Medical Museum, now the National Museum of Health and Medicine.
Reed is best known for his work in identifying the transmission of yellow fever. He led a team that confirmed that yellow fever was transmitted by mosquitoes rather than direct physical contact. This discovery had a significant impact on military medicine, as yellow fever had ravaged military encampments in the past. Reed also credited Cuban medical scientist Carlos Finlay with identifying the mosquito as the vector of yellow fever and proposing ways to control the disease.
In addition to his work on yellow fever, Reed was involved in teaching and researching bacteriology, which was crucial during the Spanish-American War when typhoid fever ravaged crowded training camps. His epidemiological work extended beyond yellow fever, as he investigated cases of typhoid and other communicable diseases among enlisted men.
The legacy of Walter Reed and his contributions to military medicine are honored through the naming of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the inclusion of his name on the frieze of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The hospital has continued to expand and evolve, combining with the National Naval Medical Center in 2011 to form the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, serving as a testament to Reed's enduring influence on military medicine.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Walter Reed Hospital is a military hospital. It is one of the largest and most prominent military medical centers in the United States.
The hospital was established in 1909 as the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) and served as the U.S. Army's flagship medical center until 2011. It was named after Army Maj. Walter Reed, who made significant contributions to medicine, particularly in the understanding of yellow fever and typhoid.
The Walter Reed Hospital is located in Bethesda, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C.
The hospital primarily serves active and retired military personnel and their families, as well as U.S. presidents and vice presidents. It has provided medical care for several U.S. presidents since its opening in 1940.
