President George W. Bush broke ground Thursday on the new Bethesda medical center expected to house the future of military medical care, without mentioning past problems noted by some in attendance.
Military leaders aim to move most medical services from the District’s embattled Walter Reed Army Medical Center to a new Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda by September 2011. The complex will serve Army, Navy and Air Force personnel at the current site of the National Naval Hospital on Maryland Route 355.
“This is a big deal,” Bush said in a speech before he joined others including Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., in ceremonially shoveling dirt in front of the National Naval Medical Center.
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Wade Cobar was one of many wounded soldiers who attended the event. Cobar, who broke both legs during a 2006 improvised explosive device blast in Iraq’s Anbar province, said the consolidation of care would make life easier for wounded soldiers. “To have everything in one place is a lot better for us,” Cobar said, gesturing to his cane. “The parking lot at Walter Reed in D.C. was so far away for somebody like me.”
Walter Reed was long known for top-notch care, but a Washington Post investigation during winter 2007 cited poor conditions like mold and rodents in outpatient housing. The facility was already scheduled for closure, but media coverage last year resulted in the resignation of some high-level Pentagon officials.
Bush did not mention the problems, although he did say the new facility would benefit from the work done by a commission he appointed to recommend military health care improvements after the issues were reported.
Instead, Bush focused on what lies ahead.
“At this new center, wounds will be healed, medical knowledge will be advanced, lives will berebuilt,” Bush said. “And those who wear our nation’s uniform will be reminded that they have the enduring gratitude of the American people.”
Afterward, Staff Sgt. David Howard, who served two tours in Iraq and now serves with the Army’s Able Troop assisting 14 wounded troops with their medical care, said the event was “a day of recognition.”
“This is really about making everything right after Walter Reed,” Howard said. “This is a step forward.”
