Georgia TV stations WRDW and WAGT report that, according to Defense Health Agency (DHA) Director Vice Adm. Darin K. Via, the U.S. Department of War intends to “transition” Eisenhower Army Medical Center (AMC) at Fort Gordon, Ga., to an Ambulatory Care Center.
The transition would include “the permanent closure of inpatient care, except for the hospital’s Residential Treatment Facility,” while the facility’s ORs would be maintained for outpatient surgery and its emergency room would become an urgent care center.
The TV stations describe the plan as a “major downgrade of services at Eisenhower.”
In his statement, Vice Adm. Via added that “we will continually evaluate all services identified for closure and leverage our strong partnerships between our managed care support contractor and civilian hospitals in the local network … The Department of War and Eisenhower AMC do not make these decisions lightly. Because we are prioritizing the continuity of high-quality care, we are engaged in a robust planning process to finalize the timeline and the deliberate actions required for a smooth transition. We will provide timely, transparent updates so our beneficiaries know exactly what to expect.”
