Walter Reed Army Medical Center Update

When the Walter Reed Army Medical Center fiasco was exposed, a retired Army general of our acquaintance wrote, “Accountability, responsibility and leadership is how you fix problems before they happen. Obviously that was missing at Walter Reed.”

When the Walter Reed Army Medical Center fiasco was exposed, a retired Army general of our acquaintance wrote, “Accountability, responsibility and leadership is how you fix problems before they happen. Obviously that was missing at Walter Reed.”

Gen. Richard Cody, U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff, was tasked to provide all three. An Army team surveyed care across the service, visiting all Army medical treatment facilities and hospitals, and making a preliminary report that, according to American Forces Press Service (AFPS), mirrors the report of the Department of Defense Independent Review Group. While recommendations regarding bureaucracy, training and organization have been forwarded for implementation, Walter Reed cites the following specific improvements in service made in March:

• All soldiers have been relocated out of the substandard Building 18, the focus of much of The Washington Post reporting.
• A soldier and family assistance center has been created to consolidate seven in- processing locations down to two.
• Family members traveling to Washington to be with a wounded soldier are met upon arrival by a soldier in uniform and brought to the assistance center.
• All backlogs of awards have been eliminated.
• Trained ombudsmen are now on staff at the patient representative office.
• A clothing issue point is now open, soldiers are measured on arrival and uniforms are delivered to them. [The wounded often come from evacuation and intermediary stops in Germany with nothing more than their hospital gowns.

AFPS cites Army Brig. Gen. Michael Tucker, deputy commanding general of the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter Reed, reporting 104 actions in progress. Gen. Cody said outpatient care system, “lacked quality control” but told AFPS he will “launch an Army inspector general review of the medical system every six months, and simple feedback forms to collect soldier and family input are being developed. Cody also said he will meet with hospital commanders ever four to six weeks to ensure all needed changes are made to gather feedback on their needs.”

Army medicine in general and Walter Reed in particular got a well-deserved black eye from The Washington Post – NOT because all care was substandard, it certainly was not. In some areas, particularly among amputees (with whom we are familiar through the Fran O’Brien’s dinners) there were generally glowing reviews for Walter Reed. And NOT because the Army doesn’t care – it certainly does. Aside from physical plant problems, which are unacceptable on their face, the demerits were largely the result of bureaucracy drowning diligent and caring doctors and nurses as well as the patients and their families who were at their most vulnerable. And, bureaucracy stifled many who complained.

Gen. Cody told AFPS, “We have got to change our bureaucracy and turbo charge it, and make it much more caring and much more accommodating to these soldiers.” True enough, and there will be a lot of people watching for continued progress.

Including us.