Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center (WHASC), formerly known as Wilford Hall Medical Center, is a U.S. Air Force medical treatment facility located on the grounds of San Antonio's Lackland Air Force Base. Operated by the 59th Medical Wing, Wilford Hall is the Defense Department's largest outpatient ambulatory surgical center, providing the full spectrum of primary care, specialty care, and outpatient surgery. The medical facility is named after former Air Force physician, Maj. Gen. Wilford F. Hall, a visionary pioneer whose contributions were instrumental in the development of aeromedical evacuation.
In US Air Force lineage terms, the Wilford Hall Medical Center was consolidated with the 59th Tactical Fighter Wing on 1 July 1993 and became the 59th Medical Wing.[1]
On 15 Sept. 2011, Wilford Hall Medical Center was renamed Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission actions. As part of the realignment a replacement building, also named Wilford Hall started construction in the area directly west of the existing building. The building would cost $418 million and be 682,000 square foot in size.
Between May 30, 2017 and July 14, 2017 services were systematically moved from the old building into the new one.[2] The first patient was seen on June 7, 2017 in the new Wilford Hall building.[3]
The contract for demolishing the old building was awarded in 2018, but demolition did not start until late 2023, finishing in 2024. Once the site is leveled, it will be restored to provide additional parking and more than 25 acres of green space with a track.[4]