Construction of new Wilford Hall to begin Published Oct. 12, 2010 By Sue Campbell 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Construction of the new Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center will begin soon at Lackland AFB. Funding for phase one of the new medical facility was approved in fiscal year 2010 and the construction contract was awarded on Sept. 3. "This is the biggest thing to happen to the Wilford Hall medical campus in 35 years, probably since the mid-1970s when the clinic addition occurred," said Rich Anaya, 59th Medical Wing Facilities Management director. "The entire medical campus is being redesigned to support the 59th MDW's new ambulatory surgical and clinical function. The new campus and facilities will be ultra-modern, patient friendly, more accessible, and more energy efficient." Phase one of construction includes the first wing of a 681,000-square foot facility and a 1,000-car parking garage. The new state-of-the-art Ambulatory Surgical Center, will have four wings, each three stories tall with a basement. The center will be constructed in three phases and house more than 40 outpatient clinics and services when completed. Both the Ambulatory Surgical Center and the parking garage will be constructed in front of the existing medical center. However, Mr. Anaya explained because of planned additional temporary parking lots, parking availability will be maintained at the current level throughout the construction. "Parking and access during construction is very important. The 59th MDW has already constructed some new temporary parking lots and there's more to come," he said. "They'll be farther out, but we plan to provide increased shuttle service to help move patients and staff." The parking garage construction is scheduled to begin in late 2010 and will close part of the hospital parking lot, the Highway 90 gate and part of the Wilford Hall Loop between the Hwy 90 gate and Bergquist Drive. Construction on the first wing of the new ASC is scheduled to begin in March 2011. The completion date of the entire center is projected for late-2017. "The current Wilford Hall Medical Center building will be demolished sometime after the new ASC is complete and fully operational," Mr. Anaya said. "The landscaping in front of old Wilford Hall, including the flagpole and 100-year-old oak trees, will remain in front of the new ASC as a connection to our historical past." The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure law directed all Wilford Hall Medical Center inpatient functions be relocated to the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston by Sept. 15, 2011, creating the jointly-staffed and jointly-led San Antonio Military Medical Center. "Although the Ambulatory Surgical Center construction is not BRAC-funded, the jointly-staffed and jointly-led ambulatory surgical center will be a major platform of the new San Antonio Military Health System, post BRAC," Mr. Anaya said. Patients and staff can obtain the latest news about construction and road closures on the Wilford Hall Medical Center web site at www.whmc.af.mil. Additionally, articles will be published in local military newspapers and posters will be displayed at various locations in the hospital. "During the next five years, our beneficiaries are going to see quite a transition take place as our inpatient services and staff move to the future San Antonio Military Medical Center and the new Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center is built," said Maj. Gen. Tom Travis, 59th Medical Wing commander . "I'm very excited that we will be able to offer enhanced care, focused on patient requirements and needs, in modern, state-of-the-art facilities."