On Jan. 18, 1985, ground was broken for a new 1.2 million square foot, 414-bed Madigan Army Medical Center in Fort Lewis, Washington. In Feb. 1992, Madigan Army Medical Center opened its 1.2 million square foot complex, the newest and most modern military treatment facility in the Department of Defense and boasted state-of-the-art technology in clinical and administrative areas.

The project to build the state-of-the-art facility was more than 10 years in the making. In fact, it took a lot of work from now famous names such as Congressman Norm Dicks, Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson, and a previous I Corps Commander, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, to assist with making the plan a reality.

The original Madigan General Hospital, according to a Mountaineer article, was opened on Feb. 22, 1944. That building was described as being built in a hurry and in the end included a 106-building complex spread over 75 acres with more than eight miles of corridors and ramps.

The transition from the old building to the new was looked upon fondly by many staff members at Madigan who have remained over the past 20 years. The transition can be described when one thinks of moving from using a typewriter to using a computer…all in one day.

Now, new Madigan is 20 years old, but the work and effort that has gone into updating, renovating and maintaining the building has brought the building into the 21st Century. Today, Madigan remains a leader as a top-of-the-line medical center for Army Medicine.