In the wake of a scandal over poor treatment of wounded soldiers, Army officials have announced plans to change the way the Walter Reed Medical Center is managed. As expected, the Army brass have named a physician, Maj. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker, to serve as commander of the military hospital. But the Army also plans to put a non-medical general as deputy commander of the hospital to oversee administrative affairs, tasked with making sure the hospital doesn't fail in its obligation to provide good outpatient treatment.
Taking a completely new direction, meanwhile, Army brass are creating a "Wounded Warrior Transition Brigade," a new unit tasked with taking care of outpatients which will be headed by an infantry officer fresh from Iraq. In addition, the Army leaders are refurbishing Building 18, a facility where outpatients stay, responding to complaints that the facility was in disrepair, dingy and dogged by mold and cockroaches.
To learn more about the situation at Walter Reed:
- read this article from the Washington Post