A Healing Place for Soldiers in 6 Wars; But Historic Hospital Has Grown Outdated

WASHINGTON – For six wars and generations of soldiers, Walter Reed hospital has been the place to heal.

But its buildings have grown outdated and overburdened over the past century. The federal commission that voted Thursday to close the venerable Army medical center in the nation’s capital said soldiers would be better served by an expanded, more modern facility in the suburbs.

When most of the hospital’s staff and services move to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., the Walter Reed name will move with them. It’s a tribute to the U.S. Army major who proved yellow fever was spread by mosquitoes and helped wipe out the dreaded disease in the early 1900s.

The original 80-bed hospital opened seven miles north of the White House on May 1, 1909.

It has treated presidents, members of Congress and foreign leaders, in addition to members of the armed forces and veterans. Today, it admits about 16,000 patients a year. They include hundreds of seriously wounded soldiers from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The far larger Navy hospital at Bethesda opened in 1942.

"Since the beginning of Iraqi Freedom, we’ve treated 4,355 patients," including 1,216 battle casualties, said Bill Swisher, a spokesman for Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Thirty-two of those patients were occupying rooms in the hospital’s 10-story main building Thursday.

The hospital treats an average of 14,000 patients annually, and it has been the premier training and research facility for the Army’s medical personnel.

Mayor Anthony A. Williams called Walter Reed "part of the fabric of our local community."

"We are extremely disappointed to lose this historic military installation – this loss will significantly affect residents, employees and neighboring jurisdictions," Williams said in a statement.

Former Sen. Bob Dole was treated there after he was wounded in Italy in 1945 during World War II. Former President Dwight David Eisenhower died there on March 28, 1969.

Other notable patients have included former Secretary of State George C. Marshall and Gen. Douglas MacArthur, both of whom died there.

The hospital sits on a walled, 113-acre campus. Its current capacity is 260 beds.

On Thursday, 185 of the beds were occupied. In announcing their plans for Walter Reed, Pentagon officials said it would be replaced by a modern, expanded medical center that would improve care for patients.