V
irginia
C
apitol
C
onnections
, S
ummer
2014
12
best known for a network of comfort homes where military and
veterans families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving
treatment. Also at McGuire is the Sitter and Barfoot Center for
advanced Alzheimer’s sufferers. This remarkable Care Center was
named for two Medal of Honor recipients: Colonel Van Barfoot and
Colonel Carl Sitter.
Veterans Hospitals across the United States have an
excellent records system. Their secure email system allows rapid
communication between patients and primary care physicians. It
also permits patients to make appointments and to refill prescriptions
without delay.
It was distressing this spring to hear of long waiting periods
at other Veterans Administration hospitals. Physicians and staff in
these facilities may have been overwhelmed by the influx of new
patients following the recent Gulf Wars.
I have been an outpatient at McGuire for about 15 years, have
been a volunteer at the hospital with other members of American
Legion Post 284, and am a member of the Million Veteran Program,
the largest genetic study in the world. These associations have given
me opportunities to visit Hunter Holmes McGuire Hospital, and I
can see the good care and attention given veterans. I have observed
skillful, caring physicians and support personnel who offer a broad
spectrum of services and use the latest medical equipment.
The Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Hospital is a treasure for
central Virginia. It supplies valuable assistance for men and women
who have served our nation.
Dr. Charles Todd is a retired Virginia teacher and school
administrator.
In 1943 the U. S. Government pur-
chased a 120-acre horse farm in south
Richmond to build McGuire General
Hospital, a sprawling one-story facility.
The Army operated the hospital until
1946 for treatment of wounded veterans
who were transported on train tracks laid
on the hospital grounds. The Veterans
Administration assumed operations in 1946,
serving veterans through Military contracts.
In 1984, a modern 1.3 million square
foot facility was opened where the army
hospital had stood and was named in honor of Hunter Holmes
McGuire of Winchester, a surgeon in the Army of Northern Virginia.
When General Thomas J. Jackson was gravely wounded by friendly
fire near Chancellorsville in 1862, Dr. McGuire amputated his left
arm in a vain attempt to save his life.
Last year at McGuire there were 550,000 outpatient visits and the
number is expected to grow. McGuire operates associated clinics in
Charlottesville and in Fredericksburg, which has eased its increasing
patient load. National studies are underway about the feasibility of
sending patients to private doctors and facilities on a contract basis.
McGuire employs 2400 persons at its Richmond site, a boon
to the economy of Richmond and central Virginia. New facilities
under construction will require additional staff. Other Veterans
Administration hospitals in Virginia are in Roanoke and Hampton
Roads.
On the McGuire campus is a guest house for families of
patients. It is supported by the Fisher House Foundation, which is
online
degree
programs
learn
anyt ime
,
anywhere
management
and
leadership
e
-
business
and
entrepreneurship
criminal
justice
nursing
(
rn
-
bsn
)
human
services
master
’
s
degree
in
education
bluefield
.
edu
/
online
Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Hospital
By Charles Todd
V
