Welcome To Naval Hospital Pensacola
Older than 26 US states, Navy Hospital Pensacola is in its second century of service and is one of the oldest and most respected military medical facilities in the country. It continues to provide health care to over 150,000 beneficiaries in its main facility and 10 Branch Clinics in 5 states.
Naval Hospital Pensacola began its service in January 1826. President Adams assigned the first surgeon and officer in charge, Navy Surgeon Isaac Hulse, to establish a hospital at the Pensacola Navy Yard in support of the West Indies Squadron. Dr. Hulse established Naval Hospital Pensacola by renting a 2-story house as a temporary medical facility, for $30 a month. Dr. Hulse would go on to spend 19 of his 33-year Navy career in Pensacola.
Although the establishment of Naval Hospital Pensacola was authorized in the 1811 Congressional Act which “...established navy hospitals…” a permanent facility was not completed until 1834. The first hospital was completed, at a cost of nearly $12,000; it was located about three-quarters of a mile from the Navy Yard on a 30-foot bluff. It was described as being 'outside the wall' of the Navy Yard. However, the hospital established its own wall, which can be seen today at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola. It was a 12-foot-high brick façade enclosing the entire 15-acre compound. The wall was built so high as it was thought to keep mosquitoes out.
There are still signs of Navy medicine’s past around current-day NAS Pensacola. Building 16 on NAS Pensacola was refurbished as the second Naval Hospital. It is among the sites on the base's tour and also believed to be 'haunted'. Hospitals 3 and 4 were erected on the original compound site. The walls of the compound can be seen today across the road from the Mustin Beach Officers' Club. Currently, the head-quarters of the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), Building 628, was Naval Hospital No. 5. It was originally dedicated on 15 February 1941 and served as the main hospital until 1978.
Today, the 6th Naval Hospital building Naval Hospital Pensacola was the first to be built outside of NAS Pensacola proper. Initially commissioned as the Naval Regional Aerospace Medical Command, it was commissioned in 1978, and continues its mission of providing healthcare to America’s heroes and their families throughout the Gulf Coast region. In 2001, the newest addition to Naval Hospital Pensacola was added: A 2-story, 73,000 square foot Outpatient Clinic. Among the clinics that have found new homes are Family Medicine; Obstetrics and Gynecology; Pharmacy; Ears, Nose and Throat; Dermatology; Ophthalmology; Audiology; Immunizations; plus the Medical Records department. More recently, the hospital completed renovation of all its inpatient areas and modernized “state of the art” operating rooms in 2010. Currently, Naval Hospital Pensacola is an outpatient surgical center with 10 Branch Health Clinics and one Annex spanning five states: Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. The hospital services over 150,000 beneficiaries with a staff of over 1,700 military and civilian
personnel.
Naval Hospital Pensacola has a proud tradition of service. The staff fought yellow fever outbreaks in the early 19th century and endured to provide comfort during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. Seventy-three Commanding Officers and literally thousands of staff members have compassionately helped the ill and injured in all of America’s struggles from the Civil War to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a testament to this, in 1945, on VJ day, the hospital had a census of 1,073 patients. In 2003, the hospital manned and deployed Fleet Hospital 3 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the first fleet hospital to be deployed to a combat zone. Since 2004, Naval Hospital Pensacola has repeatedly deployed over 10% of its military staff as individual augmentees in support of global operations. The quarterdeck honorably displays a bronzed pair of boots worn by Navy Seal, HMC Matthew J Bourgeois of Tallahassee, FL, who was killed in 2002 while conducting small unit training in a remote site in Afghanistan.
The Muddy Boots were originally awarded to Naval Hospital Pensacola by the Surgeon General of the Navy for its outstanding patient satisfaction and operational support in 2003. In the long campaigns that have followed, they are a steadfast symbol of our unwavering commitment to support and care for the hundreds of sailors from Naval Hospital Pensacola that have deployed as individual augmentees.
Not only has the Command supported America’s warriors, but they have been key players in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions. They have supported the Gulf Coast region in responding to 9 major hurricanes since 1975 and have been crucial in support in the USNS Comfort’s reoccurring “Continuing Promise” missions to impoverished nations. This included vigorous support to the victims during the Haiti Earthquake in 2010. Naval Hospital Pensacola is a fully deployable unit with more than 1,000 active duty personnel who could be called upon to support operational and humanitarian missions worldwide.
Since 1993, Naval Hospital Pensacola’s unit awards include 4 Meritorious Unit Citations and 1 Humanitarian Service Medal. Additionally, the Command has been award the Navy Surgeon’s General “Blue H” for Health Promotion and Wellness for 5 years straight, the Golden Anchor award for retention excellence (2010, 2011, 2021 and 2022), and won the Military Health System’s Patient Safety Award. Naval Hospital Pensacola was also awarded the 2016 Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety Award from the Department of Defense. It was the fourth time Naval Hospital Pensacola earned the award since the inception of the award in 2003. The award recognized Naval Hospital Pensacola for its innovative hepatitis C program, which screened patients for the virus. Since the program was started in November 2015, more than 3,400 patients have been screened and 39 tested positive.
If you have received orders to Naval Hospital Pensacola and would like to be assigned a sponsor as well as receive information regarding the Command and surrounding area, please contact the Command Sponsor Coordinator at (850) 505-6601 or click here to download the Welcome Aboard package.