Walter Reed Medical Center to Close, After Over 100 Years of Care

The Walter Reed Army Medical Center will close its doors, after more than a century of care. The historic medical center first opened it’s doors to offer care to soldiers and their families in 1909. The hospital treated Presidents Nixon and Eisenhower. and housed a number of other Washington notables. But it also had its share of scandals. In 2007, a  Washington Post investigation uncovered appalling conditions there, including neglected patients, unsanitary living facilities, and what the paper described as “a messy bureaucratic battlefield.” Today, hospital staff will say goodbye to the historic facility in a ceremony on the Walter Reed grounds. The hospital will merge with facilities in Bethesda, Md. and Fort Belvoir, Va. to save money.  Dr. John Pierce, historian for the Walter Reed Society, reflects on the history of the center. Joe Wilson, who worked as a social worked at Walter Reed from 2004 to 2007, also recounts his memories.