Just south of Springfield, VA, there is a large military hospital at Fort Belvoir.

This is the Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center, commonly referred to as ATAMMC.

Those who have lived in the area for a long time may be more familiar with the name Fort Belvoir Community Hospital.

The address is 9300 DeWitt Loop, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060. If you think of a typical military clinic, you might be surprised by the size.

The entire facility spans over 1.2 million square feet and has 120 inpatient rooms.

It is a large military medical facility with four outpatient clinics, a seven-story inpatient tower, operating rooms, and an intensive care unit.

The hospital building has been accepting patients since 2011. It was created during the restructuring of military medical facilities, incorporating some functions and personnel from DeWitt Army Community Hospital and Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

The original name was Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, but it was changed to Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center in 2023.

Alexander Thomas Augusta is a significant figure in American history. He served as a medical officer in the U.S. Army during the Civil War and was the highest-ranking African American officer at that time.

He later taught medicine at Howard University and is recorded as the first African American medical school professor in the U.S. The hospital was renamed to honor his achievements.

The medical fields offered range from primary care like family medicine and internal medicine to various specialties including cardiology, neurology, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, hematology-oncology, obstetrics, and immunology.

In the surgical field, services include not only general surgery but also colorectal surgery, thoracic surgery, bariatric surgery, and plastic and reconstructive surgery.

The facility also has an intensive care unit and cancer treatment facilities, as well as a Labor & Delivery and Mother Baby Unit for pregnancy and childbirth.

With programs for mental health and brain injury, it is clear that this facility is significantly larger than a typical military base hospital.

According to hospital data, it supports a local military-related population of about 250,000 and provides inpatient and specialty care services to approximately 90,000 registered patients.

There are around 55 specialty clinics, and satellite medical centers are located in Fairfax and Dumfries.

Additionally, the emergency room operates 24 hours a day, making it an important emergency medical hub for eligible military personnel and their families in Northern Virginia.

However, there is one important thing for the general public to know. Unlike general hospitals like Inova Fairfax, this hospital is fundamentally part of the military medical system, so it is not open for everyone to use freely. The primary audience includes active-duty military members, eligible family members, and military retirees who qualify for TRICARE and military medical services.

Northern Virginia has many military and defense-related institutions, including the Pentagon and Fort Belvoir, and a significant number of retired military personnel live there. Therefore, if you live in Springfield, you may encounter people who use this hospital more often than you might expect.

While it may be a somewhat unfamiliar hospital to the general public, the story is completely different for military families. Having a large military medical center nearby that offers everything from inpatient care to specialty services, surgeries, and emergency medical care is a significant healthcare infrastructure for military families living in this area.