Walter Reed Base Guide

In August 2005, the military medical flag leaders in the National Capital Area (NCA) issued a shared vision of integration between National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) in Bethesda, Md., and Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC). ‘‘We envision one unified National Capital Area (NCA) military health care system,” the leaders said.

Jointly staffed inpatient campuses at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) at Bethesda (North) and Fort Belvoir, Va., (South) will provide high quality, efficient and convenient care for beneficiaries when the facilities open in 2010 (at Fort Belvoir) and 2011 (at Bethesda).

The WRNMMC will serve as a world class academic medical center focused on highest quality tertiary care, Graduate Medical Education, and clinical research while serving as a worldwide military referral center. The Fort Belvoir community hospital will be the major satellite teaching hospital. Both campuses will be sized to provide health care at the closest facility to the beneficiary whenever clinically appropriate.

The last few years have presented many integration challenges to NNMC and WRAMC, but the shared vision on integration holds strong. The principles of the shared vision have guided the staffs at NNMC and WRAMC through the Program for Design process in 2006, and provided the needed framework for the architects during the design plans (‘‘charettes”) conducted in February and March 2007 for the new community hospital at Fort Belvoir and the new WRNMMC, respectively. During the same period, there have been changes in leadership at multiple facilities, but all continue to embrace and promote the principles outlined in the original shared vision.

WRNMMC will be a world, class academic facility focused on the highest quality care, graduate health professional education and clinical research. Given that it is critical to the entire integrated NCA health care system, Medical Centers (MEDCENs) integration remains a major focus for NCA military medical facilities.

Successful integration will contribute immeasurably to an integrated health care system in the NCA that is unsurpassed in quality and relevant to NCA valued beneficiaries. The integration of the Medical Centers will not occur in a vacuum. A parallel process of integration with critical links must occur between the MEDCENs and the NCA to attain the goal of an integrated health care system.

Health care services, readiness, GME (graduate medical education) and research are four very vital concepts that link the integration of the MEDCENs with the NCA. The involvement of the Uniformed Services University and Air Force medicine to the entire NCA integration effort is also critical and ongoing.

In order to be successful with the integration process, all military medical facilities in the NCA must continue to provide the services and perform the functions that they do best: care of the Global War on Terrorism wounded heroes and patient and Family-centered care.

Warrior Care has challenged both facilities to meet the evolving demands of providing care for traumatic brain injured, amputee, complex psychiatric patients, and polytrauma patients and their Families. NNMC and WRAMC are at the forefront in these areas.

The care of servicemembers injured during the defense of the nation has been and will always be the mission of NNMC and WRAMC and is a crucial part of their vision as they integrate.

Incorporation of Family-centered care into this new paradigm is vitally important to the success at National Naval’s andWalter Reed’s integration. Both will continue to provide quality primary and specialty care to all of their beneficiaries in a patient and Family-centered environment.

The Department of Defense has counted on WRAMC and NNMC for their comprehensive health care needs. The centers have met this challenge and must continue to meet it as they move forward.

The vision of the integration must be converted into an executable plan. As NNMC and WRAMC maneuver through this very complicated process, they must evolve to meet both NCA and MEDCEN integration challenges.

These are truly exciting times and the realization of WRAMC⁄NNMC shared vision for the new WRNMMC as a world-class academic facility focused on the highest quality care, graduate health professional education and research requires continued support and enthusiasm.

The goal of an integrated health care system depends on the successful, collaborative efforts of the Medical Centers and the NCA as the transition moves forward together. Both facilities must remember the qualities, traditions and reputations of great service that made NNMC and WRAMC the icons of excellence they are today and capitalize on them as they move forward with integration.