New primary care clinic completed at BAMC / Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio

Construction of a $34.9 million, 132,000-square-foot Primary Health Clinic has been completed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. Its services and staff will take the place of those at Brooke Army Medical Center. BAMC is planned to become the San Antonio Military Medical Center North and will handle inpatient care.

The entire medical facility at Fort Sam is undergoing expansion in order to take over the services currently offered at Wilford Hall, situated at Lackland AFB. Accordingly, Wilford Hall will become an outpatient clinic.

The addition of 750,000 square feet of space brings the total to about 2 million. Plus, around 280,000 square feet of existing space is being remodeled. The new clinic was paid for out of $3 billion in construction funds, and is awaiting certification as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-Silver structure.

The entire project is slated to be finished in 2011 and paid for with funds allocated by the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC). Expanding the medical facilities at Ft. Sam Houston is part of the Defense Department's mission to "improve the quality and availability of care for local military members, their families and retirees."

In the Department of Defense photo above, U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Taylor, an inpatient at BAMC, describes his injuries as Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. listens.