As another graduate of Fort Sam Houston's AIT medic program, I would to proudly say...


WELCOME TO BROOKE ARMY MEDICAL CENTER

Located on the historical Post of Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) is one of eight United States Army Medical Centers. BAMC has a proud and venerable history dating back to 1870 when the first post hospital endured as a small medical dispensary located in a log cabin. During the early years, the post hospital was in temporary structures until 1886 when the first permanent hospital was built. It was in this facility that many of Teddy Roosevelt's "Rough Riders" were treated for injuries received during pre-invasion training conducted here at Fort Sam Houston before the Spanish-American War. This stone structure was replaced as the hospital in 1907 when a new 84 bed facility was built. This new hospital was among the nation's most modern health care facilities without equal in the military.

BAMC's namesake, Brigadier General Roger Brooke assumed command of the post hospital in 1929 holding that position for 4-years. A true visionary among his peers, General Brooke is credited with instituting the first routine chest X-Ray in military medicine. This, along with his other outstanding contributions to medicine and his remarkably warm relationship with the local community, later resulted in a successful campaign naming the facility "Brooke General Hospital" in 1942.

In July 1936, the cornerstone was laid for the construction of yet another post hospital and by November 1937 the 450 bed hospital became operational. The total cost of construction was $3 million dollars. This new hospital's opening was the first in a series of events that changed Fort Sam Houston from an infantry post to a medical post.

The year 1941 saw BAMC again growing, as it prepared for the expected flow of WW II combat casualties, by converting a 220 bed enlisted barracks into additional patient wards. This was not the last conversion of existing facilities to medical service. In 1944, BAMC identified the need to recuperate soldiers injured on the WW II battlefield and converted a Cavalry battalion's barracks into a convalescent unit. This building later named "Beach Pavilion", served BAMC well, supporting the over 9,000 battlefield admissions BAMC received in June 1945 and the over 16,000 total admission by the year's end.

In 1946, Fort Sam Houston was chosen as the new site for the United States Army Medical Field Service School and the United States Army Institute of Surgical Research (ISR). These decisions to centralize the Army's medical research and training at one location resulted in the renaming of Brooke General Hospital to Brooke Army Medical Center.

Through the years, Brooke Army Medical Center has continued to provide quality, responsive tertiary health care to our U.S. servicemen, service women, retirees, and their families. From WW II to Operation Desert Shield and Storm, BAMC personnel have answered the call on numerous occasions to sustain effective medical operations both at home and abroad.

Our new medical center was dedicated on March 14, 1996 is a Level I Trauma center and consisting of 1.5 million square feet of operational space, and features 450 inpatient beds; the world renowned Army Burn Center; 4 intensive care units; bone marrow transplant laboratory and unit; 13 radiographic suites of various types; 3 ultrasound suites; 3 mammography suites; 3 linear accelerators and 1 simulator; 1 magnetic resonance imager; 1 CT scanner and 1 Electron Beam CT scanner; 12 operating suites with two special procedure rooms; a separate same day surgical center; specialized cardiology facilities; over 30 health care specialty service areas; nearly 100% digital radiographic imaging; DODÆs largest installation of an automated clinical information system; a fiberoptic network providing telecommunication support to remote sits through telemedicine; and an administrative pneumatic tube transport system servicing over 70 stations, all of which are protected by an advanced security and fire detection/suppression system. BAMC continues its mission credo of "Dedication, Duty, Service", while once again becoming the most modern medical facility in DOD...