Base Closure:Walter Reed Bye Bye

[LADoc00]

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Walter Reed, pretty much the premier medical facility of the military, is closing for "consolidation" with Bethesda to create what the DOD claims will be a newer better hospital system, the Pentagon euphemism for youre getting shiatcanned. Left of the news is fate of the AFIP which is definitely doomed, which is a kick in stomach of the path community. I passed on this year's AFIP annual Surgical Path conference, a legendary experience I always wanted to do one day, and I probably never get a chance to do it now. The pencil pushing bastards!!

Gotta love a country that sends troops off to war then while they are gone closes all their bases. Welcome home and by the way we sold your crap in storage and closed your rehab hospital. Thanks.

 

[bananaface]

Awww c'mon. Maybe they'll lower your taxes by 0.0000000000000000004%.

 

[LADoc00]

Awww c'mon. Maybe they'll lower your taxes by 0.0000000000000000004%.

Havent you learned anything? They never lower taxes regardless!

Federal personal income tax didnt even exist until WWI where it was assumed it was War tax (similar to Saladin Tithes used to fund the Crusades) and would go away after the Allied victory, well guess what....
once the government has your money they never let it go!!

Revolt I say!

Seriously, if I was a soldier and some pencil pusher sold my base and I returned to an empty craphole, I would go Rambo on their ass.

 

[denali]

Walter Reed, pretty much the premier medical facility of the military, is closing for "consolidation" with Bethesda to create what the DOD claims will be a newer better hospital system, the Pentagon euphemism for youre getting shiatcanned. Left of the news is fate of the AFIP which is definitely doomed, which is a kick in stomach of the path community. I passed on this year's AFIP annual Surgical Path conference, a legendary experience I always wanted to do one day, and I probably never get a chance to do it now. The pencil pushing bastards!!

Gotta love a country that sends troops off to war then while they are gone closes all their bases. Welcome home and by the way we sold your crap in storage and closed your rehab hospital. Thanks.

From the long, boring, detailed report (start at p. 327):

"disestablish all elements of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology except the National Medical Museum and the Tissue Repository; relocate the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, DNA Registry, and Accident Investigation to Dover Air Force Base, DE; relocate enlisted histology technician training to Fort Sam Houston, TX"

"The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) was originally established as the Army Medical Museum in 1862 as a public and professional repository for injuries and disease specimens of Civil War soldiers. In 1888, educational facilities of the Museum were made available to civilian medical professions on a cooperative basis. In 1976, Congress established AFIP as a joint entity of the Military Departments subject to the authority, control, and direction of the Secretary of Defense. As a result of this recommendation, in the future the Department will rely on the civilian market for second opinion pathology consults and initial diagnosis when the local pathology labs capabilities are exceeded."

 

[LADoc00]

From the long, boring, detailed report (start at p. 327):

"disestablish all elements of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology except the National Medical Museum and the Tissue Repository; relocate the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, DNA Registry, and Accident Investigation to Dover Air Force Base, DE; relocate enlisted histology technician training to Fort Sam Houston, TX"

"The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) was originally established as the Army Medical Museum in 1862 as a public and professional repository for injuries and disease specimens of Civil War soldiers. In 1888, educational facilities of the Museum were made available to civilian medical professions on a cooperative basis. In 1976, Congress established AFIP as a joint entity of the Military Departments subject to the authority, control, and direction of the Secretary of Defense. As a result of this recommendation, in the future the Department will rely on the civilian market for second opinion pathology consults and initial diagnosis when the local pathology labs capabilities are exceeded."

THOSE BASTARDS!!!!!!!

Seriously the AFIP was the only reasonable method VA hospitals could get second opinions on cases, now what? Are the individual VAs gonna be able to afford to send cases to Hopkins and Stanford?? No. HELL NO. They are poh. So basically the veterans get screwed in the end and the pathology community gets an eye poked out, leet plan all around.

Thanks Donald Rumshiathead. You suck.

 

[denali]

Yeah, I don't think DoD realizes what AFIP means outside of the services; the BRAC commission chair is the former head of the VA, so he may catch on. Reaslistically though, the only thing I can hope is that some of the talent will choose to stay on with the NIH/NNMC/WRAMC/USUHS bouillabaisse, but I expect increasing numbers of CVs will be hitting the streets in the next few months.

 

[LADoc00]

Yeah, I don't think DoD realizes what AFIP means outside of the services; the BRAC commission chair is the former head of the VA, so he may catch on. Reaslistically though, the only thing I can hope is that some of the talent will choose to stay on with the NIH/NNMC/WRAMC/USUHS bouillabaisse, but I expect increasing numbers of CVs will be hitting the streets in the next few months.

When I saw about half a dozen prominent former AFIPers show up on Yale and Hopkins newsletters I had a suspicion something was up. The department will be gutted if its not already in complete collapse. Seriously, I knew GW wasnt the greatest president in U.S. history but this is ridiculous. Its like Will Ferrel's character from "Old School" (Frank the Tank) is running the country! Cant wait to see the job market in the DC area with 40+ seasoned pathologists applying for whatever crap position they can get their hands on!

 

[LADoc00]

LOL!!

The DOD decided to downsize the AFIP where the downsized pathology specimens went! The irony!!

The Base Realignment and Closure Repository (BRAC) was established at the AFIP in the early 1990s as a repository of pathologic materials and reports from military medical facilities throughout the world that were closed or downsized during this period. This repository houses pathology, cytology, and autopsy reports, along with the associated microscopic glass slides and paraffin blocks from the following military health treatment facilities:

 

[bananaface]

Havent you learned anything? They never lower taxes regardless!

Federal personal income tax didnt even exist until WWI where it was assumed it was War tax (similar to Saladin Tithes used to fund the Crusades) and would go away after the Allied victory, well guess what....
once the government has your money they never let it go!!

Revolt I say!

Seriously, if I was a soldier and some pencil pusher sold my base and I returned to an empty craphole, I would go Rambo on their ass.

1) Do you not have a sarcasm detector?

2) Rambo sux. 👎

 

[awdc]

Closing the AFIP is a 👎 move. How can they just close down one of the most prominent medical institutions in the country?!?! Unbelievable... 😡

 

[bananaface]

If you were from Seattle you'd be saying, "Why can't Paul Allen just buy it for us?"

 

[gungho]

Havent you learned anything? They never lower taxes regardless!

Federal personal income tax didnt even exist until WWI where it was assumed it was War tax (similar to Saladin Tithes used to fund the Crusades) and would go away after the Allied victory, well guess what....
once the government has your money they never let it go!!

QUOTE]
Actually, the Income Tax was started in 1913. Withholding was started with WWII, thanks to FDR. Prior to then, one paid the Fed income tax with a single annual payment. In order to provide cash flow to finance the war, some guy came up with the idea to take some each month, and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

[bananaface]

I wish they would work out a more graduated system. There is a whole area in there where you may as well make less money becuase you take home more. Stupid bracketing.

I also wish they would not give super-duper coverage to welfare recipients to the extent that they are encouraged NOT to go out and work.

 

[DrBloodmoney]

Acutally for those of us at Walter Reed (especially us in residency) this is great news. Much better than great news. We've wanted to consolidate with Navy for a long time. Maybe now we can have static resident desks, that would kick ass. Plus Navy pathology staff is a huge drain on our residency program (we get **** for teaching over there), and they want to outsource all the navy pathologists anyways. So the army can come in there and whip that department into shape.

There was no need to have 2 flag staff within three miles of each other.

The only ****ty thing is the AFIP whose fate is more than uncertain. The wording of the death knell was something like "outsourcing of all non-military essential pathology requests"... which means bye-bye to outside consults.

Anybody want to buy a used nuclear bunker on a prime piece of land?

I'm just glad they're keeping the name of Walter Reed attached to it, so those playa-hating pathologists will still have throw out some props to my l33t p4th skillz in the future.

[That being said, I still don't want to work in DC after residency because who wants to rent when they're a staff physician at a major hospital... seriously I can't buy a roof over my head up here.]

When I saw about half a dozen prominent former AFIPers show up on Yale and Hopkins newsletters I had a suspicion something was up. The department will be gutted if its not already in complete collapse. Seriously, I knew GW wasnt the greatest president in U.S. history but this is ridiculous. Its like Will Ferrel's character from "Old School" (Frank the Tank) is running the country! Cant wait to see the job market in the DC area with 40+ seasoned pathologists applying for whatever crap position they can get their hands on!

There have been rumors for some time and some of the less prominent civilians have been jumping ship. I bet they'll all run now. Don't blame them a bit.

The whole problem is staying 'combat relevant' in the face of the DoD's new 'sleeker, slimmer military' initiative.

The navy most likely won't have pathologists after the next 5-10 years, mark my words. Admiral Arthur likes to hate on the pathologists.

Closing the AFIP is a 👎 move. How can they just close down one of the most prominent medical institutions in the country?!?! Unbelievable... 😡

This is what happens when non-medical people decide the fate of the medical system. dinguses and elbows, let's send all the docs to the front lines ten-hep. Get your microscope and get in line.

 

[yaah]

R.i.p. A.f.i.p. 🙁

 

[LADoc00]

Acutally for those of us at Walter Reed (especially us in residency) this is great news. Much better than great news. We've wanted to consolidate with Navy for a long time. Maybe now we can have static resident desks, that would kick ass. Plus Navy pathology staff is a huge drain on our residency program (we get **** for teaching over there), and they want to outsource all the navy pathologists anyways. So the army can come in there and whip that department into shape.
.

Outsourcing pathology is sheer lunacy, why not outsource everything then? F-ck it why not sell the whole Army to GE or Apple. Privatize everything I say, troops can run into battle with Pepsi on their flak vests and Levi's on their ass! Personally, I think the entire military should be replaced with robots, how cool would that be?

 

[yaah]

Personally, I think the entire military should be replaced with robots, how cool would that be?

James Cameron has already shown us the folly of this plan.

It's true though, I wonder about the future because it seems to me as though so many professions are being either

1) Consolidated into fewer, more efficient companies employing fewer people
2) Mechanized - so the # of employees decreases
3) outsourced for cheaper labor.

How does the US continue to grow and prosper? The standard of living for those who have money will continue to accelerate, but it seems as though money is going to be consolidated further and further in fewer hands.

 

[DrBloodmoney]

Outsourcing pathology is sheer lunacy, why not outsource everything then? F-ck it why not sell the whole Army to GE or Apple. Privatize everything I say, troops can run into battle with Pepsi on their flak vests and Levi's on their ass! Personally, I think the entire military should be replaced with robots, how cool would that be?

The Navy hasn't figured out that this doesn't work yet. They're a bit stupid.

I've watched civilian docs, who, with a waiting room full, say 'hey **** it' I've put in my 8 hours today... I'm out. No ****.

You can't fire these people either, because it's the gov't and you have to treat your civilian employees like they're ******ed children of the fu*cking president.

So let the Navy fire all their pathologists and bring in civvys. See how many they can hire for $120,000/year (pretty generous estimate too).

*****s.

 

[yaah]

So let the Navy fire all their pathologists and bring in civvys. See how many they can hire for $120,000/year (pretty generous estimate too).

Well, governments like to save money that will be spent in the future, because it's generally someone else's problem at that point. And they can say they saved money, even though they personally do not have to deal as much with the consequences. I'm not sure what they plan to do - the government would have a nasty PR issue if they tried to outsource.

 

[LADoc00]

Yaah you wake up at 6:20am on SUNDAY?

Ummmm, that's pretty hardcore, I dont think you fit in with the rest of us in path Im afraid. Your ABP application is denied.

 

[bananaface]

Dude, he is on EST. Not everyone can be a cool and live on the West Coast.

 

[yaah]

Yaah you wake up at 6:20am on SUNDAY?

Ummmm, that's pretty hardcore, I dont think you fit in with the rest of us in path Im afraid. Your ABP application is denied.

Yeah banana is right. I actually went to bed at 2am last night.

 

[RyMcQ]

There is a whole area in there where you may as well make less money becuase you take home more. Stupid bracketing.

I do find it funny when rich people decide to complain about how bad their lives are so they bring up this chestnut.

Here's why you shouldn't worry: Let's say you go from 10 to 20 percent when you exceed the $100K threshhold. The first 100K is still taxed at 10%. It is the amount greater than $100K that is taxed at 20%. So there is really no situation where you'll take home more by making less.

Oh, and it's a good thing we didn't elect that faker patriot Kerry, eh? I better get back to my bake sale so we can buy armor for the troops. 😡

 

[tsj]

I suppose this means the new fascicles are not gonna happen.

 

[yaah]

I suppose this means the new fascicles are not gonna happen.

I think the placenta one is already out, thank god.

 

[PathOne]

Unfortunately, AFIP has been ailing for some years now. It was once a truly world-class institution in a lot of subspecialities, but they've felt the financial squeeze for years, and sadly it is hardly surprising that they should now be dealt the death-blow.

From a bureaucratic perspective I'm sure it makes sense: Dover AFB is already the designated military and emergency collection point morgue, so why not move the AF Med Examiner there, along with the DNA repository? Then there's too much room left over in the Wash AFIP Bunker, so why not just move the path services to military hospitals and VA centers?

Goodbye AFIP, the remaining crown in the crumbling world of military healthcare.
RIP

 

[LADoc00]

I think the placenta one is already out, thank god.

Dude I hope you were being sarcastic.

 

[Homunculus]

Acutally for those of us at Walter Reed (especially us in residency) this is great news. Much better than great news. We've wanted to consolidate with Navy for a long time. Maybe now we can have static resident desks, that would kick ass. .

us peds folks are lookign forward to it-- though we'll be long gone by then. our call schedule alone should be almost halved.

I'm just glad they're keeping the name of Walter Reed attached to it, so those playa-hating pathologists will still have throw out some props to my l33t p4th skillz in the future..

the US Army. all your base are belong to us.

[That being said, I still don't want to work in DC after residency because who wants to rent when they're a staff physician at a major hospital... seriously I can't buy a roof over my head up here.].

rent? we scratched together enough to buy a townhome, and we'll probably make 40-50k on appreciation in 3 years. if i could stay as staff, i'd upgrade to a single family home and *really* make some bank. if you want to get depressed, talk to a USUHS-er who bought 4 years ago or so (or longer if they stayed here for residency). one of our graduating residents is making nearly 100k on his home, and a student graduating this year is making 160k. traffic is teh lose, but man, you gotta love the real estate. it's like getting another year of salary 🙂

The whole problem is staying 'combat relevant' in the face of the DoD's new 'sleeker, slimmer military' initiative..

pediatricians are the third highest deployed specialty in the army behind ER and FP. the admin types higher up are using the "who treats people closer to 18-30? peds or the gomer seeking IM docs?" line to show how "combat relevant" we are and thereby save us from the chopping block. hooray.

Admiral Arthur likes to hate on the pathologists..

peds, too. why i have no idea. overall we're pretty nice people. 😎

This is what happens when non-medical people decide the fate of the medical system. dinguses and elbows, let's send all the docs to the front lines ten-hep. Get your microscope and get in line.

or in my case, your combat stickers.

--your friendly neighborhood combat pediatrician caveman

 

[LADoc00]

--your friendly neighborhood combat pediatrician caveman

Hold it, hold it.

Why does the military have pediatricians? If there ever was a something ripe for outsourcing that would top on my list, bigtime.

/Calls Donald Rumsfield.....

 

[yaah]

Dude I hope you were being sarcastic.

Not at all. I love the placenta. It is teh awesome. 😛

Actually, I kind of agree with one of the former residents here who basically takes up half of our quote board - he was chinese and spoke sort of broken english. One of his quotes was, "Placenta? Why you need microscope for that ****?"