Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Walter Reed Army Medical Center
WRGH ("Building 1") in the 1930s
Active	May 1, 1909 – August 27, 2011
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Army
Type	Hospital
Role	Militarized healthcare
Motto(s)	"We Provide Warrior Care"
Commanders
Notable commanders	LTG Kevin C. Kiley (2002–June 2004; March 1–2, 2007) MG Kenneth L. Farmer Jr. (June 2004–Aug. 25, 2006) MG. George W. Weightman (Aug. 25, 2006–March 1, 2007)

Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Walter Reed Health Care System
The WRAMC Distinctive Unit Insignia
Geography
Location	6900 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, D.C., United States
Coordinates	38°58′30″N 77°01′48″W / 38.975°N 77.03°W / 38.975; -77.03Coordinates: 38°58′30″N 77°01′48″W / 38.975°N 77.03°W / 38.975; -77.03
Organization
Care system	Military
Hospital type	General
History
Founded	May 1, 1909
Links
Website	Walter Reed National Military Center
Lists	Hospitals in Washington, D.C.

The Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) — known as Walter Reed General Hospital (WRGH) until 1951 — was the U.S. Army's flagship medical center from 1909 to 2011. Located on 113 acres (46 ha) in Washington, D.C., it served more than 150,000 active and retired personnel from all branches of the military. The center was named after Major Walter Reed (1851–1902), an army physician who led the team that confirmed that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes rather than direct contact.

Since its origins, the WRAMC medical care facility grew from a bed capacity of 80 patients to approximately 5,500 rooms covering more than 28 acres (11 ha) of floor space. WRAMC combined with the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Maryland in 2011 to form the tri-service Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC).

Fort Lesley J. McNair, located in southwest Washington, D.C. on land set aside by George Washington as a military reservation, is the third oldest U.S. Army installation in continuous use in the United States after West Point and Carlisle Barracks. Its position at the confluence of the Anacostia River and the Potomac River made it an excellent site for the defense of the nation's capital. Dating back to 1791, the post served as an arsenal, played an important role in the nation's defense, and housed the first U.S. Federal Penitentiary from 1839 to 1862.

Today, Fort McNair enjoys a strong tradition as the intellectual headquarters for defense. Furthermore, with unparalleled vistas of the picturesque waterfront and the opposing Virginia shoreline, 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 choose the famed facility for the delivery of their health care needs.