About Us
Mission
Exceptional Healthcare Professionals who deliver a system of health and readiness by providing extraordinary experiences to those we serve.
Vision
The Dunham U.S. Amy Health System employs highly trained, innovative, and adaptive leaders to medically support the Army’s mission to deploy and win while simultaneously maintaining the readiness of the force and cohesiveness of the Keystone Team.
Priorities
- People First–Taking care of people, our staff and our beneficiaries.
- Ready Medical Force–Leaders at all levels will ensure the readiness and welfare of the Fort Meade MEDDAC Team, our service members and prepare Soldiers for deployment.
- Medically Ready Force–Improve access to care. Promote and improve readiness to sustain the health of the force.
- Safe/Quality Health care–We will leverage technology to optimize readiness, access, the patient experience, eliminate preventable harm, and integrate high-reliability clinical process improvements.
Values
Teamwork, transparency, accountability, efficiency, evidence-based, compassion, empathy, customer-focused, trust.
History
United States General Hospital 31 was originally organized on Aug. 3, 1918 with a staff of approximately 500 officers and enlisted men. The hospital was designated as a reconstruction hospital with a primary function of rehabilitation and reeducation of sick and wounded soldiers returned from service with the American Expeditionary Forces in France. During its two years of operation nearly 4,000 soldiers were provided medical treatment, mental reconditioning, and vocational training.
In 1920, the Medical Field Service School was established under the command of Col. Percy M. Ashburn, the school drew upon the lessons of World War I and began its mission to develop medical equipment and doctrine suitable for the battlefield. At the same time, the school used classroom instruction and frequent field exercises to train the Army in the care and handling of casualties, as well as in the prevention of disease. Between 1920 and 1946, over 30,000 officers and noncommissioned officers passed through the Medical Field Service School during its 26-year tenure at Carlisle Barracks. From 1946 through 1961, the Carlisle Barracks Station Hospital served the various schools and residents that occupied Carlisle Barracks. Between 1946 and 1951, the Army Information School, the School for Government of Occupied Areas, the Adjutant General's School, the Chaplain School, the Military Police School, and the Army Security Agency School were all briefly located on Carlisle Barracks. In 1951, the U.S. Army War College relocated to Carlisle Barracks where it remains today.
On Dec. 6, 1961, the hospital was designated Dunham U.S. Army Hospital in honor of MG George Clark Dunham and moved into a newly constructed 25-bed modern facility. Maj. Gen. George Clark Dunham was a physician who formerly directed the Department of Sanitation, Army Medical Field Service School, from 1926 to 1931, located here at Carlisle Barracks. He ultimately received the Distinguished Service Medal for his significant contributions in the fields of preventive medicine and international public health.
In 1972, an addition to the front of the hospital was completed and provided additional outpatient waiting areas, exam rooms, and offices. Due to a constantly dwindling inpatient requirement and rapidly expanding outpatient operations, the operating rooms and ward spaces were closed and converted into outpatient clinical space. In 1976, the facility was re-designated as the Dunham U.S. Army Health Clinic and fully converted to a primary care facility.
Major renovations to the outpatient clinic completed in 1988, 1994, and 2002, have nearly doubled the size of the clinic and brought the facility to its current state.
These milestones in the history of the Army Medical Department at Carlisle Barracks were necessary to better effect the medical care in the area where it was most needed and allowed us to keep our motto: "Service to the finest."