The Purpose of AMEDD
The Army Medical Department (AMEDD) is a team that wants to be the health care professionals out there. They give wonderful service to our soldiers that service this country and their families. AMEDD works hard to build trust that helps to complete healthcare missions. Civilians and soldiers alike are proud to work under AMEDD.
AMEDD History
In 1775, AMEDD had its beginnings at the start of the Revolutionary War. The Continental Congress designed a medical service that they named "Army Hospital." This service took care of 20,000 soldiers in the army. The team only had a medical book by author Dr. John Jones. It was called Plain Concise. This book was very useful during the war. After that, Benjamin Rush also wrote a medical text. George Washington gave the first real mission to this team, which was to give smallpox vaccines to everyone who was fighting in the war.
Once the war was over, the military downsized along with the medical units. The Army had one surgeon with four assistants when the War of 1812 started. Once the war was over, Congress saw that there was a need for a medical department for the Army that was permanent. In 1818, the military reorganization act was passed giving the Army a permanent medical service.
The Army was in better shape after the War of 1812, but the Civil War showed everyone that the Army was not completely prepared. Many soldiers caught diseases that could not be cured. Upgraded weapons led to serious injuries, but the Army was not ready to treat them yet. Hospital stays meant death to many soldiers. Sanitary and hygienic worries were brought on because there was not enough information about bacteria. Bacteriology was a new science just being discovered during that time.Â
In 1862, the Surgeon General of the Army was awarded with an officer's rank. AMEDD started keeping medical records that showed the first history of medicine about the effects of war. Jonathan Letterman was the medical director who was in charge of many changes like organizing field supply and starting an ambulance corps. Both of these ideas are still being used in today's AMEDD.
One important person is Lt. Col John Shaw Billings. He wrote about how important hospital hygiene was, and the idea was born for the United States Public Health Service. He designed many great facilities such as the Johns Hopkins Hospitals.
The Congress started the Hospital Corps in 1887 and made AMEDD a career choice for soldiers. The Corps was eventually stopped but a full-time medical service has always remained. At the start of the 1900s, the Nurse Corps and Dental Corps began. After that came the Medical Administrative Corps, the Sanitary Corps, and the Veterinary Corps. All of these services helped AMEDD get ready for World War 1.
This war turned out to be the first time that they were more deaths from diseases than from battlefield injuries. During World War 2, many new drugs were made, such as penicillin. AMEDD grew to over 600,000 members, which is larger than the modern United States Army. In 1946, the Army made its own surgical and residency program within AMEDD. Later on dental and nursing programs came along too. In 1973, the unit was moved to Texas and called the U.S Army Health Services Command or HSC. This service worked along with Brooke General Hospital or BAMC at Fort Sam in Houston. The HSC turned into MEDCOM.
The AMEDD purpose has stayed the same throughout history. It focuses on saving lives and helping healthcare standards and is better for our dedicated and hardworking soldiers.
If you work in AMEDD, get in touch with some of the resources that are available to you. They want to help your move to Fort Sam Houston be easy and eliminate any worries that you might have. They will be there for you every step of the way from the beginning to end and want to assist your family in getting use to your new assignment.
The Army Medical Department (AMEDD) is a team that wants to be the health care professionals out there. They give wonderful service to our soldiers that service this country and their families. AMEDD works hard to build trust that helps to complete healthcare missions. Civilians and soldiers alike are proud to work under AMEDD.
AMEDD History
In 1775, AMEDD had its beginnings at the start of the Revolutionary War. The Continental Congress designed a medical service that they named "Army Hospital." This service took care of 20,000 soldiers in the army. The team only had a medical book by author Dr. John Jones. It was called Plain Concise. This book was very useful during the war. After that, Benjamin Rush also wrote a medical text. George Washington gave the first real mission to this team, which was to give smallpox vaccines to everyone who was fighting in the war.
Once the war was over, the military downsized along with the medical units. The Army had one surgeon with four assistants when the War of 1812 started. Once the war was over, Congress saw that there was a need for a medical department for the Army that was permanent. In 1818, the military reorganization act was passed giving the Army a permanent medical service.
The Army was in better shape after the War of 1812, but the Civil War showed everyone that the Army was not completely prepared. Many soldiers caught diseases that could not be cured. Upgraded weapons led to serious injuries, but the Army was not ready to treat them yet. Hospital stays meant death to many soldiers. Sanitary and hygienic worries were brought on because there was not enough information about bacteria. Bacteriology was a new science just being discovered during that time.Â
In 1862, the Surgeon General of the Army was awarded with an officer's rank. AMEDD started keeping medical records that showed the first history of medicine about the effects of war. Jonathan Letterman was the medical director who was in charge of many changes like organizing field supply and starting an ambulance corps. Both of these ideas are still being used in today's AMEDD.
One important person is Lt. Col John Shaw Billings. He wrote about how important hospital hygiene was, and the idea was born for the United States Public Health Service. He designed many great facilities such as the Johns Hopkins Hospitals.
The Congress started the Hospital Corps in 1887 and made AMEDD a career choice for soldiers. The Corps was eventually stopped but a full-time medical service has always remained. At the start of the 1900s, the Nurse Corps and Dental Corps began. After that came the Medical Administrative Corps, the Sanitary Corps, and the Veterinary Corps. All of these services helped AMEDD get ready for World War 1.
This war turned out to be the first time that they were more deaths from diseases than from battlefield injuries. During World War 2, many new drugs were made, such as penicillin. AMEDD grew to over 600,000 members, which is larger than the modern United States Army. In 1946, the Army made its own surgical and residency program within AMEDD. Later on dental and nursing programs came along too. In 1973, the unit was moved to Texas and called the U.S Army Health Services Command or HSC. This service worked along with Brooke General Hospital or BAMC at Fort Sam in Houston. The HSC turned into MEDCOM.
The AMEDD purpose has stayed the same throughout history. It focuses on saving lives and helping healthcare standards and is better for our dedicated and hardworking soldiers.
If you work in AMEDD, get in touch with some of the resources that are available to you. They want to help your move to Fort Sam Houston be easy and eliminate any worries that you might have. They will be there for you every step of the way from the beginning to end and want to assist your family in getting use to your new assignment.
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