(WASHINGTON, DC) – U.S. Rep. John Carter (R-TX) today announced the Department of Defense will likely announce this week the approval of construction funds for a new hospital for Fort Hood, to replace the aging and outdated Darnall Army Medical Center. 

“I am pleased that a decade of commitment and hard work from our entire community is on the verge of landing us the new hospital we so desperately need for our active and retired military families in the Fort Hood capture area,” says Carter.  “This is the first major project I took on for Fort Hood when it became part of our district in 2005, and it is a real thrill to see it coming to fruition.”

Carter says the new hospital is an absolute must for Fort Hood, as the current Vietnam-era Darnall facility is not capable of being upgraded to modern standards, due to size and infrastructure restrictions. 

The Department of Defense is expected to announce that Phase I of the construction project has been approved as part of the recently passed federal stimulus package.  Phase I is expected to be funded at $621 million, and is scheduled to break ground in September 2010, with a targeted completion date in 2013.     

The new medical center will be located at the current site of the Fort Hood Stadium.  It is planned to include a three-story Clinic Building, and a three-story Ancillary Building. 

The Ancillary Building will house:                                                                                                                                  

•           Ophthalmology and Laser Eye Center

Phase 2 of the project is set to begin in 2016 and be completed by 2019.  Final cost has not been determined.  It will include a 5-story tower that will house:

Carter says the new facility will keep Fort Hood up to date as one of the Army’s premier bases, will help maintain existing missions at the base, and help attract new missions and units to the facility. 

“There is no way to overestimate just how much this victory means for the long-term future of Fort Hood, and for the overall economy of Central Texas,” says Carter.  “This has been worth every minute of time our office, and everyone in both the military and civilian community around Fort Hood has put behind winning this project.”