Naval Medical Center Portsmouth

Naval Medical Center Portsmouth is the place where service members and their families go in Hampton Roads when only the best medical care will suffice. This hospital has a long history dating back to the Revolutionary War. This facility has expanded to meet the changing needs of patients through the years. The U.S. Navy takes great pride in administering some of the finest care available and housing some its most accomplished providers here. Patients, visitors and staff alike can enjoy each day at this historical structure that provides a scenic setting along the Elizabeth River waterfront.

Even though this facility has some of the most up-to-date technology available, it is the Navy's oldest hospital that has run continuously since inception. The area where Naval Medical Center Portsmouth stands today was actually built as a fort (Fort Nelson) to repel the British in the mid-1770s. British naval Commander Sir George Collier seized the fort in 1779, which was later abandoned for several decades. Construction on the first naval hospital began once the Commissioners of the Naval Hospital Fund were given the green light. A 20 cents tax was imposed on every U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps service member to help pay for the new campus. A few years later, the first hospital building was completed in 1833 and patients have been receiving top-notch care here ever since.

Today, approximately 4,300 civilians and active-duty sailors maintain Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. These healthcare workers serve some 420,000 active-duty, dependents and retirees who reside in southeastern Virginia. While there may have only been one building in the beginning, this medical campus now occupies a 112-acre site. Naval Medical Center Portsmouth is also a teaching hospital offering several types of residency specialty programs. The acute care facility broke ground in 1990 and now accommodates more patients, more advanced equipment and more care providers.

Service members and their families who are relocating to Hampton Roads because of PCS orders to Naval Medical Center Portsmouth have nothing to fear. There are plenty of homes in lovely communities close to the base. Buyers who like the thought of ditching traffic and walking to work can check out homes in neighborhoods like Park View, Olde Towne and Swimming Point. Find new construction homes in established neighborhoods as revitalization efforts continue or in brand new developments. If regular maintenance doesn't sound like fun, look into condos at complexes like Admiral's Landing, Crawford Bay, The Brickshire at High and Crawford Square, all of which are within walking distance as well.