Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

My wife has weekly appointments at Walter Reed and we normally leave 2 hours early in the morning in order to be at the hospital before 7 a.m. or we would never get parking. This morning they had 2 sentries at the parking garage entrance screening drivers as patients or workers in 40 degree weather. This made a HUGE difference with available parking stalls. It’s unreal how many staff and employees would park in the patient parking garages. It’s a shame we need servicemen to monitor employees who abuse rules. The staff parking garage is a little longer walk…it doesn’t hurt to get a little exercise before reporting for work, and it also helps elderly, handicap, and patients with accessible and convenient parking. There has to be a better way to enforce this such as mandatory vehicle registration with stickers or plate verification in a system with random vehicle checks and towing, or CAC scan gates that don’t allow entrance for people identified as staff. It was amazing to see so many parking spaces available. We’ll see how long this will last. I just wanted to say this option worked, however in the future staff can easily drive thru in civilian attire and say I’m a patient.

My first time as a patient here and waited TWO hours. Checked in at the kiosk, asked the receptionist who my PCP was, and then I got called in 10 min early… only to sit in another waiting room. I waited an hour to get called in and I was the only one who wasn’t called. So I went to check with the front desk, very politely asked about my status… and the dingbat receptionist said I never got called in because I didn’t state my PCP at check in… Basically she said it was MY fault that no one called me in.
…Yet they called me in from the front desk to get seated in the waiting room?
When the nurse finally called my name, the first thing she asks is «do you want to reschedule?» Seriously? I had to take off a half day at work to come here only to wait for an hour and then to be asked if I wanted to reschedule.
Unilocal needs to create a «0 stars» option. The dingbat receptionist needs to be replaced.

Staff has always been very friendly and accommodating. The parking garages… Arghh they are tight/​narrow if you use the service members parking.
I try to get in early in the day before the place gets busy for the sake of my own sanity.

Excellent facility with top notch providers.

I hate this place. It takes forever to get any type of appointment. Once you finally get an appointment it takes even longer to get a referral. Your provider will try hard to refer you to someone else to see if they can take care of it before referring you to an actual specialist. All it does is waste your time.

It was around 7:00am but the parking lot was a madhouse. It seems the people who works on this base can park easily but the people who works on other bases can not. Also it was hard to find a building. They should have better maps and signs!

This was my first visit since they closed WRAMC off Georgia Ave.
Traffic is just horrible to get to off 495 do unless you know a shorter and quicker route take it especially between 8−11AM.
Once you are on base you really need to pay attention or you’ll miss your entry to the parking garage. People of course are ignorant and love to ride your tail when you’re trying to drive cautiously and slowly to find a spot, so be ready.
Inside there are helpful people to point you in the direction that you need to go to.
Thankfully I retired and opted to John Hopkins tricare plan and do not have to take that drive … It’s a very nice hospital just too busy and such a maze to maneuver through.

Emergency room staff were fast, courteous and kind. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Young doctor needs more training in bedside manor. All my experiences have been great so far. It’s a very large facility and sometimes overwhelming to navigate. Found it to be a very safe and clean environment. People are very respectful!

This review is for the ER. IT SUCKS. Last time was a 4 hour wait in waiting room. This is going on the hours.

I’ve was here for a while due to open heart surgery. The facility itself is decent, typical of a military medical facility.
Don’t expect overly friendly staff, prepare to have your appointments randomly cancelled, and even given appointment times that don’t coincide with the actual clinic you’re going to. I’ve experienced both.
The more important clinics I have nothing bad to say about, but the low key ones (optometry, pulmonary, etc.)…just double check your times and confirm your appointments.

No complaints at all from the service I have received thus far from this place. I like the fact that when I have an appointment there is no waiting. I am in before my time and I am always pleased with the results.
This hospital is large so it is good to get their early as the numerous parking garages provide ample parking, but the walk can be a few minutes depending on where your appointment is located at. There are numerous helpers that guide you in the right direction if you get lost. Inside the hospital if you get hungry you have the choice of the cafeteria, subway, Dunkin Donuts, and a few cafes sprinkled in the facility to grab a bite to eat.

Horrible, we are both military, my wife took our 7 year old daughter for treatment they can only provide in MD at Walter reed (we live in VA) and they AGAIN cancle the appointment WHILE SHE IS IN THE WAITING ROOM waiting to be called in WTF. This is complete bullshit, typical treatment we have gotten since being assigned in this region. Drive in from another state and they call you while you are IN the waiting room. Simply unprofessional. A civilian facility would have big issues if they pulled this nonsense with their patients. Cancel WHILE sitting in the waiting room waiting to be called, it still amazes me x TWO…

For full disclosure, up until five months ago, I worked here as a Cadre Member for the Army’s WTB unit, so I’m a bit biased. However, I think my review is pretty fair & spot on!
It’s HUGE! It services all of DC! It provides care for dignitaries, i.e. Senator Bob Dole, and any other politician who is also a Veteran. Obviously those are far & few in between these days (Spineless NON-​serving Bastards); all Pentagon Staff and all significantly Wounded Warriors who reside on the East Coast. My point is, for a Medical Facility of it’s magnitude to still provide good care for the lowly E-​4 & retiree alike, I think they do a bang-​up Job!
Parking BLOWS! And the waits can be a bit rough at times, but great service and pretty much EVERY service under the roof is performed here. While I was Cadre I had a Vasectomy here, all the blood tests in the world performed, sleep apnea diagnosed & treated, and pretty much all the other «Old Man» stuff done & I’m very pleased with how I was treated.
It has possibly the Worlds nicest & largest USO operating ²⁴⁄₇! Five Fisher Houses plus a Navy Lodge, though that books up fast, so be prepared. It has a small NX (that’s the Navy Exchange for everyone looking for a PX), which has a food court. It has a gas station and it’s conveniently located REALLY close to the 495. Though there’s NOTHING convenient about the 495 as any local knows.
And though it’s technically a Navy installation (NSAB), they treat the Army pretty good.

Was getting a tour of the base from my friend and he introduced me to his local eatery.
The food was pretty basic cafeteria style foods with a salad bar and grill.
Cannot beat the price though.

I love the suited greeters spread throughout the hospital who greet you with a friendly «good morning» or «good afternoon» and offer to help you find your destination. Such a great touch. Like having a concierge around every corner. It is an older hospital, but it sounds like they have quite a bit of construction going on.

Had occasion to visit the ER, this past Wednesday evening. My wife experienced an allergic reaction to a wasp sting and required emergency treatment.
Patient check-​in was expedient, as was the initial triage and assignment to a treatment room. The attending nurse and physician were fully competent and exhibited exceptional patient care and attention. My wife was treated, medication was prescribed and timely issued by the pharmacy, late at night. End-​to-​end, we were in and out in less than two hours with minimal waiting, throughout.
I’m a Montgomery County EMT and frequently convey patients to several of the area hospital ER’s. I would rate WRNMMC as an exceptional MoCo emergency treatment facility, and I thank their staff for the treatment and courtesies extended. Job well-​done!

Great place, the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Parking was ok took me about 20 minutes to find a parking spot

I knew from start that the US Army Officer-​Nurse who intimidated my brother when he had stage 4 cancer would go unpunished for what did.
My Brother, Dan was a stage four cancer patient at the Walter Reed-​Navy Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. He beat that cancer, throat cancer, but now it appears to have moved to his lungs. We don’t know for sure yet.
When Dan had stage 4, the doctors cut a hole in his throat sohecould breathe and a hole in his stomach so he could eat. He has lost over a hundred pounds in six months. His skin literary hangsfrom his bones. To get to the cancer, the doctors removed all of his teeth in a single operation. He was in pain. I saw him the next morning and his face had swelled like a balloon. He asked for pain killers.
The floor nurse, a guy named Chad Sullivan, decided he didn’t like the request. Apparently, by three reports, Sullivan is an extremely large man. He pushed open Dan’s door, leaned forward on the armchair rest where Danny was sitting, placed his face inches from Dan’s face and said «You don’t know what pain is. You’re a bullshit artist and you’re trying to con the doctors for more dope.»
Danny started to say something and Sullivan pushed his finger in Dan’s face and shouted,“Close your mouth!“
When Danny tried to speak again Sullivan rammed his finger in his face and yelled, «Close it!»
When Dan called out for help, Sullivan left the room.
Two friends of Dan’s visited him that day and found him badly shaken over the incident. They confronted Sullivan and accidently recorded the conversation. According to their written statements Sullivan admitted that he said,“Close your mouth” but he «was not threatening in anyway» and never cursed. He also said «I am not the most gentle guy in the world. I’m not going to lie about it.»
As he spoke, according to the statement and the recording, Sullivan swung his arms in large circles and slapped his hands together loudly forcing Dan’s friends to constantly step backwards and said «I can’t believe I have to answer your questions. I can’t believe this is going on right now. I am going to ask you people to leave right now. Right now.»
When I found out what Sullivan did, I phoned the local police and asked them to investigate. They agreed that there is sufficient cause to arrest Sullivan for intimidation, but the hospital is on federal property and out of their jurisdiction.
Despite a call from our attorney, and urging from the entire family and all of our friends, my brother refused to take the case to the military police.
Why?
Because he’s a decent sort of guy, a third generation dogface who believes in what the US says it stands for. He told us that the army would give him justice so he submitted a written complaint, his witness submitted a complaint.
They didn’t give Dan his justice. Instead they promoted Second Lieutenant Chad Sullivan to the rank of First Lieutenant.
Can you imagine that happening in the private sector? An employee or a customer files a serious complaint against a manager and the manager is promoted? You can’t imagine it because that sort of insanity only happens within the government where employees are paid on time and in full regardless of the quality or quantity of work they perform.
When Dan rejected the hospital’s notion to give Sullivana good firm talking tothe Officer closed ranks, so to speak, and applied pressure. Dan was approached several times by a Major Ruby J. Thomas who tried to high pressure him into dropping the complaint against Sullivan, telling Dan that to pursue the case «would not be a Christian act.»
Can you imagine that happening in the private sector? Using a person’s faith against them to drop a complaint against a superior? How much do you think the lawyers would take to settle that one?
So Dan went up the ladder and complained to Harry Hamilton, Commander of the Nurse Corps at Walter Reed. Hamilton, a true government worker, heinterviewed Danny, took a report and promised to get back to him.
We never heard from him again.
So on Dan’s behalf I wrote to Major General Jeffrey Clark, the hospital’s director and Captain Sarah Martin of the Nurse Corps.
We never heard from them.
The hospital approached Dan and asked if he would enter talks with Chad Sullivan and Dan said no. But by now it was clear to even him that Sullivan was going to get away with his behavior. Dan, who is still very weak and very sick, said he was too tired to fight anymore and told the army he would accept a simple apology from Sullivan in person.
Sullivan agreed and Dan, with stage 4 cancer and exhausted drove down from Baltimore for the meeting… Sullivan didn’t show up.
Like I said, he got away with it.

I went with my wife and stopped at the patient drop off area. It was my first time there and I didn’t know where to park my car as I got out to look around and see where I can park at Richard Petty comes outside, so I said hey «Richard Petty would you mind me taking a picture of us“he said no and so I took a picture. so my first day at the hospital I got my picture taken with Richard Petty so I love this place now.

Had my son here, an unplanned c section by dr. Stone. He was very understanding of my wanting to have a natural birth, but after 36 hours of unprogressive labor and my water breaking 24 hours in… baby needed to come out!
During my labor, my nurses were great. Left me alone to sleep and moved me around and checked on me every few hours. Dr. Stone checked on baby often, and nurses brought me juice and jello.
C section went well, they followed my birth plan as much as they could and I had baby Greyson with me in an hour.
The nighttime aftercare was not so great. The nurses were of absolutely no help in post partum, I was having a difficult time latching Greyson and asked to see the breastfeeding consultant. But she wasn’t there. She is only there for a few hours a day, and definitely not at night. So I had to set up an appointment to see her the next day at ten am. But she didn’t come until the day after that, so to feed my hungry peanut we asked for formula. The very grumpy nurse just gave us a bottle of formula and didn’t tell us how much to feed him. She probably didn’t know, a lot of the postpartum nurses don’t actually work with pregnant women and are floated up from other places. So they have no clue how or what to do to help you. My husband’s coworker was floated up there often, and she had no idea about anything they asked.
So then my baby was crying from being too full because we gave him too much formula. So we ask for help and they’re fighting at the desk about whether or not he has colic or if they need to call the doc.
We call our moms and they tell us how to fix it, gripe water. My husbands buys some and baby is all better. The nurses were still fighting, BTW. They must not like each other.
Other than the grumpiness and the unknowlegable staff, our time there wasn’t too bad. They didn’t bother us, beside this angry Asian nurse who kept telling me that I was doing everything wrong. I told her to leave, and my husband got his friend from l&d to be my nurse for postpartum (she works in both, yay). She was great, her name is Carmen. Really nice lady.
Also, the nurse from my delivery helped me walk and move during post partum.
So all in all, not too bad. But they need more staff that actually work with pregnant women to work there, and stop floating people there. Its a very sensitive time and its unprofessional of the administration to do that.

I am proud to say I was born at the original Walter Reed Army Medical Center that was once located in Washington, D.C. but in the past several years it has crumbled, fallen on hard times, and a made a glorious re entry into the world at what used to be Bethesda Naval Medical Center.
Needless to say, going on base can get a bit complicated. Currently I am an American Red Cross volunteer and I enjoy every minute of it. Going through the process can be tiresome but worth the struggle. I recommend anyone to volunteer the staff are friendly and helpful getting you into where you would like to be. But trying to gain access was a pain in the behind. You need base access and they might very well forget to put your name on the list. Not to mention because you are on a military base they are very adamant that if you do not have clearance stand the side and allow them to hold your i.d.
Once you get pass that process now you all you have to do is figure out the base and it’s layout. Lets just say you will need plenty of practice with this. Buildings are not always numbered in ordered and are connected through a maze of stairs, elevators, hallways, and tricks.
Once you have mastered that tactic now you can admire the upgrades since leaving the old hospital. If there is one thing Walter Reed has always needed was an upgrade and the former Bethesda Naval was always a beautiful base. Take your time and go through and make a trip to Main Street (Dunkin Donuts, Subway, The Main Café, and the Dry Dock that has so many goodies to choose from). As you mosey along and find your way you will notice that there are small cafes abound just to help cure any hunger pains. Take another trip outside and you can visit some friends and family members in the barracks or take your time shopping at the NEX.
Overall I thoroughly enjoy the base and the services given