President Bush Vows to Fix Conditions at Walter Reed Hospital

JUDY WOODRUFF:

There were handshakes, autographs, pictures with wounded soldiers and their families, even a brief workout today for the president during his three-hour visit to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

It was his first trip to the facility, which is about six miles north of the White House, since a series of newspaper articles led to public anger over the state of outpatient care at Walter Reed and other facilities around the country. The articles highlighted substandard conditions in some of the facilities, including moldy walls and carpets, as well as a frustrating maze of red tape for servicemembers and veterans.

GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States: The problems at Walter Reed were caused by bureaucratic and administrative failures. The system failed you, and it failed our troops, and we're going to fix it.

I met some of the soldiers who had been housed in Building 18. I was disturbed by their accounts of what went wrong. It is not right to have someone volunteer to wear a uniform and not get the best possible care. I apologize for what they went through, and we're going to fix the problem.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

Most of Walter Reed's patients are veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The president also awarded 10 Purple Heart medals to wounded servicemembers. And he visited an outpatient facility where residents of the now-infamous Building 18 were moved during renovations.

In the wake of numerous stories and congressional hearings, three top Army officials were forced to step down: the commander of Walter Reed Hospital; Major General George Weightman; Army Secretary Francis Harvey; and the U.S. Army surgeon general, Kevin Kiley, who resigned on March 12th.

At least half a dozen investigations have been set up by the president, the Defense Department and Congress, in addition to a new 800 hotline for service members to report problems.

PHONE VOICE:

Thank you for calling headquarters, Department of the Army, wounded soldiers and family hot line.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

And while visible conditions at Walter Reed seem to be on the mend, reporters are continuing to find other problems throughout the Defense Department and Veterans Affairs health systems.

Today, the New York Times reported flaws in digital record-keeping that can lead to serious medical mistakes and delays in patient care. That came a week after the V.A. disclosed to news organizations, including the Associated Press, that a small number of the network's "health clinics and hospitals were beset by maintenance problems, such as mold, leaking roofs and even a colony of bats."

Mr. Bush's visit was not without some criticism and protests. One neighbor's home near the helicopter landing site urged the president to bring the troops home.