JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
The hallways once echoed with the sounds of crying babies, metal carts being wheeled and monotone beeps indicating life. Those sounds are now replaced with shouts of “¡Juntos Podemos!” (“Together We Can”) and the hustle of Soldiers’ combat boots making their way to meetings. A lot has changed in 80 years.
Maj. Gen. K.K. Chinn, U.S. Army South commanding general. and retired Maj. Gen. Floyd Baker, M.D., former commander of Brooke Army Medical Center, spoke at a ceremony Feb. 3 celebrating 80 years, since the construction of the historic Old Brooke Army Medical Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, affectionately known as “Old BAMC.”
“In many ways, Old BAMC is a living legacy that has touched and shaped thousands of lives for nearly a century,” Chinn said. “This building is about people. The people who were treated here and the people who did all that was humanly possible to give care and comfort to the sick or injured. No place did it better than Old BAMC.”
U.S. Surgeon General Hugh S. Cumming sanctioned the building of the state-of-the-art hospital at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston during the 1930’s.
The eight-story building, originally named Station Hospital, was constructed in 1937 and opened in 1938 with 418 beds and was built for a total cost of $1,485,080.58.
After World War II began, the hospital was upgraded to a general hospital and renamed after the late Brig. Gen. Roger Brooke, who commanded the Station Hospital from 1929-1933 and performed the first routine chest X-Ray in military medicine, making him one of the most notable figures in internal medicine.
After Brooke’s departure and 41 years later, Baker came to Old BAMC in 1974 as a brigadier general. Now 89, the ex-surgeon shared stories of his time as commander and recalled the view from his southeast corner office in the winter.
“If you haven’t had the opportunity to see those sunrises, it’s a sight to see,” Baker said.
The audience laughed as Baker recalled the challenges of the former building layout. The three buildings were a mile apart and various departments scattered, making transferring patients a critical situation.
“We called it the ‘miracle mile,’” Baker said, referring to the distance between the emergency room to the intensive care unit. “We did not lose a patient en route, so that was our miracle.”
Baker said he and hospital staff wondered what was going to happen to the building after the hospital moved out. “We were really concerned about it. We are happy with the results. I am really pleased with those of you that are taking care of it while you’re in here.”
The anniversary ceremony not only included Soldiers and friends of Army South, but people directly affected by the staff and patients of BAMC.
Col. Angela Mysliwiec, M.D., U.S. Army South command surgeon, spent time as a third-year medical student in Old BAMC, as part of her internal medial inpatient rotation. Now, more than 20 years later, Mysliwiec works in the same building with Army South.
“I was very excited to hear Maj. Gen. Baker speak, because it really brought back memories. I experienced the ‘miracle mile,’” she said. “I was actually with some of those patients who travelled back to the emergency room from the other buildings.”
Mysliwiec now walks into the building daily with a sense of awe. “I was so junior back then… I didn’t really appreciate it.”