Imaging courses at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) will continue as scheduled for the near future, in spite of the possible shutdown of the military hospital where the courses have been held.
On May 13 the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) recommended the shutdown of several military bases and medical institutions, including the Washington, DC-based campus of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where AFIP is located.
AFIP's six-week RadPath course fulfills training requirements for over 310 radiology residency programs. AFIP also offers one-week categorical courses and weekend classes as continuing medical education.
The courses will continue for the foreseeable future, said Carl Williams, an AFIP course coordinator. Whether the closures will ultimately affect the radiology program remains to be seen pending the outcome of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) review, he said.
The DOD has proposed shifting Walter Reed's Army hospital program to the Navy's facility, Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. It would also create a new 165-bed community hospital in nearby Fort Belvoir, VA.
Other military medical facilities that could potentially be affected include Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, which would be merged with Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston to become the San Antonio Regional Medical Center.
The DOD also has proposed the creation of the Joint Center of Excellence in Regulated Medical Product Development and Acquisition at Fort Detrick, MD.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writers
May 16, 2005
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