Sen. Carper Visits Walter Reed Medical Center

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), a veteran and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, visited injured service men and women, their families, and staff at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. During his visit, the Senator had the opportunity to tour the new facilities and talk with patients and medical staff at the Intrepid Center, which serve as the rehabilitation center for wounded warriors suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury.

“As a veteran, I appreciate the sacrifices these men and women have made for our country at home and abroad and I believe that we have a moral imperative to support and strengthen our service members’ benefits, especially health benefits for our wounded warriors,” said Sen. Carper. “At the Walter Reed Medical Center, I was humbled and honored to visit with and learn from our service members who have sacrificed so much, their families, and the medical personnel. It was a truly moving experience. It was also encouraging to see the vast improvements to the new facility, which gives patients and their families a top-rated, safe and comfortable facility to begin their road to recovery. I was particularly grateful to be able to meet with Delawarean Staff Sergeant Stefanie Mason and her family. The Mason family’s story continues to be an inspiration to those of us in Delaware and across the country. I know that the drastic improvements to Walter Reed would not have been possible had it not been for the persistent efforts of our veteran community and I continue to be thankful for their vigilance. I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that our veterans and their families get the benefits that they deserve, from access to high quality healthcare to education to job training services.”

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

In September 2011, the doors opened at the 245-acre refurbished Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, a composite of Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Bethesda Medical Hospital on the ground of the old Bethesda Naval Hospital. The center currently has a 243-bed capacity, and is run by all branches of the military, not just the Army. The main upgrades at the hospital include four new structures: an outpatient care center and an accompanying 950 space parking garage, a 1,200 space multiuse garage and a 153 suite barracks. The new outpatient facility—a 550,000-square-foot building—houses women’s health services, pediatric care and an amputee center where patients will not only received prosthetics, but also go through rehabilitation.

Intrepid Center

The National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) is an evaluation, treatment planning and research facility. Specifically, the Intrepid Center is designed to provide care to service members and families dealing with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and psychological health (PH) conditions. Treatment plans are developed in a family-focused, collaborative environment while promoting physical, psychological and spiritual healing. In addition to advanced diagnostic treatment planning, the Intrepid Center also focuses on family education and reintegration support.