MedStar Washington (D.C.) Hospital Center. The busiest hospital in the Washington, D.C., metro area, MedStar Washington Hospital Center is one of the 50 largest hospitals in the nation by bed number. The hospital, a member of the MedStar Health System, saw 89,934 patients in its emergency department in 2013, and surgeons there performed 12,068 inpatient surgery procedures. In total, 440,470 inpatients and outpatients received treatment at the hospital in 2013.
Just past its 50th birthday, the hospital began as the Washington Hospital Center in March 1958. It was considered a high-technology facility because of its air conditioning units and oxygen outlets in every room. Over the years, it expanded its staff greatly and played a significant role in treating patients after the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. The hospital's administration is currently planning a capital campaign to build new facilities to replace aging infrastructure.
The 926-bed hospital employs 1,362 medical and dental professionals, 376 of whom are physicians, 6,510 associates and 1,719 nurses. It operates the Comprehensive Stroke Center and the only Cardiac Ventricular Assist Device program to be certified by the Joint Commission. MedStar Washington Hospital Center also launched a partnership with the Cleveland Clinic Heart & Vascular Institute for cardiovascular clinical development and research.
 |
 |