Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood once said, “Success comes not from wishing, but from unwavering preparation and dedicated action.”
During Tuesday’s ribbon cutting to celebrate the upcoming opening of the General Leonard Wood Community Hospital, the hospital’s commander, Col. Angela Diebal-Lee, spoke about the new space accomplishing his mission.
“This hospital is the ultimate testament to that philosophy,” she said.
The hospital will serve those who serve and who have served us – more than 34,000 military members, families, and veterans.
Flickr photo permission granted by Ft. Leonard Wood
“If you look at this magnificent building, you see a landmark, a state-of-the-art facility designed for the future of medicine. But I believe a hospital’s true identity is not found in its architecture, but in its spirit. It’s not the walls that heal, but the people within them,” she said.
The General Leonard Wood Community Hospital is a 430,000 square foot space that replaces the second oldest military hospital in America, built in 1965.
“This state-of-the-art facility is the new high ground for military medicine. It gives our incredible team the strategic advantage to advance our mission of care, focusing not just on the craft of medicine, but on the art of healing,” said Diebal-Lee.
A news release from Ft. Leonard Wood says the hospital will employ more than 600 workers.
Some of the hospital’s features include:
• Modern inpatient and outpatient care services
• Advanced diagnostic imaging and surgical suites
• A healing environment designed with patient comfort in mind
• Energy-efficient systems supporting the military’s sustainability goals
The official first patient day is April 7, with the Emergency Department, inpatient wards set to open. Outpatient and ancillary services will follow the first wave of moves. All services are set to be fully operational at the new hospital by April 13.
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