The Patient is first and lastalways A History

“The Patient is first, and last…always” A History of the Department of Pediatrics at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

First Patients Admitted 1909

Early Pediatrics at Walter Reed 12 deliveries/month between 1920 -40; dependent care was optional

War Brides and 10, 000 infants transported to U. S. in 1 st year after VE Day

High Infant Mortality on the USNS Zebulon Vance Sister ship to USNS Cateau-Therrieu pictured above

COL Ogden Bruton

Pediatric Section Established March 1949

Rapid Growth in Pediatrics from ’ 49 -’ 57

Rapid Growth in Pediatrics from ’ 49 -’ 57

Pediatric Clinic: Building 7, 2 nd Floor

Inpatient Pediatrics, Building 1 Wards 16, 17 and 22

Walter Reed Newborn Nursery, 1954

Diagnostic Breakdown of Inpatient Admissions at Tokyo and Walter Reed, 1950 s

Primary Pediatric Medevac Site for the Western Hemisphere

Hospital for Foreign Dignitaries

Life on the Ward

“Frequent Flier” on the Inpatient Ward Joseph S. Holtoner, son of a USAF Major General J. Stanley Holtoner

Meanwhile, a few miles away….

NNMC Pediatrics Starts July 1948 under CAPT James T. Fowler

CAPT Thomas Cone LCDR Howard Pearson LT Charles Waite Bethesda Naval Hospital, 1957

CAPT Andy Margileth Father of Pediatric Dermatology

Walter Reed Expands in the 1960 s

COL James Bass – Chief of Pediatrics 1975 -1981

Women Pediatricians Mid 1960 s Dr. Eve Kimball 1 st Female Intern in the Army Madigan AMC 1975 Dr. Donna Schuster 1 st Female Graduate Walter Reed

COL Erroll Alden Chief of Pediatrics, 1983 -1987

First Flight & Infant Botulism 1992

Base Realignment and Closure - 1995 • Two residencies combined as the National Capital Consortium • NICU and Newborn Services – NNMC • PICU, Inpatient Pediatrics – WRAMC • Subspecialty Clinics – WRAMC (mostly) • Primary Care Clinics - Both

USAF Trainees • Occasional USAF Pediatric Residents since 1956 • B. J. Beard swaps spots with Jill Emerick in 2002 • First class of USAF pediatric interns starts 2006

Base Realignment and Closure, Round 2 2005

New Construction 2017

New Construction

Why Military Pediatricians? (for combatant personnel)

1. There are more troops in the agerange of *our* wheelhouse

2. 90% of combat-zone medical issues and medevacs are for ‘Disease Non. Battle Injuries’ aka ambulatory care – which we do often & well >>

3. We are a specialty focused on Preventive Care of healthy patients – what combatant commanders know as ‘medical readiness ‘

4. We are an adaptable specialty used to making do with equipment & patients of different sizes/ages – a valuable trait in austere and chaotic environments