Let’s look at what has happened in the process so far. Our first step was the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The draft indicated our initial plans and the apparent impact it would have on our environment internally and externally. After the draft EIS was made public, there was a 45-day comment period. Those affected and concerned with the findings in the EIS had the chance to voice their concerns, opinions and bring up additional considerations, solutions and issues. During the comment period, the public had the option of mailing, faxing, emailing or phoning in their opinions. The draft EIS 45-day comment period ended on January 28th. By law the Navy must review and address all of the comments and feed back received during the 45 days. This happened with the final Environmental Impact Statement released on April 4th 2008.

The final EIS also has a no-action period attached for further public consideration. April 4th was the beginning of this 30-day ‘‘no action” period. The Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and Environment is the designee of the Secretary of the Navy for reviewing the final EIS in preparation for a signed Record of Decision. After careful consideration and review of the EIS, the process and all inputs received, the Assistant Secretary is responsible for signing our Bethesda ROD. Besides the Assistant Secretary, legal designees have studied and evaluated all comments and recommendations contained in the final EIS document and have evaluated our responses, comparing the proposed final against BRAC and Federal legal requirements and all current government policies.

As previously stated, the Secretary can approve a ROD with the preferred or the alternative plan proposed in the final EIS or even go a different way based on all the input received and what he thinks is best to meet BRAC and Federal laws. The Assistant Secretary can agree with some aspects and disagree with others. The ROD can even recommend something that was not considered at all in the final EIS or concur with public input that certain plans are inaccurate or flawed. In the end the ROD will tell us what future construction and renovation will take place.

I believe the Record of Decision will be signed by the time this Journal column is on the street. It should be officially published in the Federal Registry within days of the signing of the ROD. We are hopeful the Secretary will agree with the preferred final EIS plan we helped the Navy create with the great input from the community, local, county and state representatives and many others inside and outside the federal government. The construction contractor is already working with the National Park and Planning Commission and the State Historical Preservation Office of Maryland (the Maryland Historical Trust) in preparation for final design and implementation plans to come from the ROD decision. Their goal is to begin digging in June after preparation lay down in May and June.

Remember that this project, the construction and renovation of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, is one of the largest and most important projects in military medical history and all of BRAC is to be completed by September 2011! There will be much more for us at NNMC to do as the final EIS says the Navy will work with government and local communities for best solutions to probable traffic, mass transit, metro, safety, pedestrians, environmental, parking and security issues that have been identified and preliminarily worked.

As we work internally to prepare to execute an exceptionally aggressive construction and renovation plan, we also must continue to interact with our host community to address the concerns expressed during the EIS process. Our commitment to the Community must be no less than the commitment they have provided to us. They are integral to our success and we will continue to ensure we act in concert with them to address funding for road and intersection improvements and to resolve traffic and parking issues.

However, knowing all that is going on and even more to come with BRAC construction, WRAMC staff movement, NICOE and other Centers of Excellence coming to our campus, Fisher Houses and other Quality of Life and Care support enhancements, we must not forget our number one priority: to take care of our patients and their families. What Bethesda does best is ‘‘taking care of patients.” What is so important with the Bethesda project is its direct future affect on the care and support of American’s Heroes, those returning from the Global War on Terrorism and any other conflict, peace enforcement, peace keeping, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief mission in the world who will be patients in our new world-class, state-of-the-art medical facility.

Commander sends,