Currently, there are about 85,000 beneficiaries of the DeWitt Health Care Network, according to DeWitt officials. That number is expected to grow because of the Base Realignment and Closure 2005 law, which calls for closure of Walter Reed’s main campus by September 2011, and realignment of its resources to the new Fort Belvoir hospital.

Additionally, following completeion of growth and changers to the National Naval Medical Center, the medical center will be called the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Col. Charles ‘‘Chuck” Callahan, DeWitt commander, said evidence-based design linked to positive health care outcome, is being used to build the environmental-friendly, state-of-the-art, 120-bed health care facility at Fort Belvoir. The new hospital will provide primary- and secondary-level care in 1.2-million square feet of space. It’s slated to open by summer 2010 at a cost of $747 million. The hospital will have 55 primary specialty clinics, a 10-bed intensive care unit, a 12-bed behavioral health inpatient unit, a cancer center, an emergency center, an operative services center with 10 operating rooms, diagnostic centers such as pathology and radiology and modular clinic space dedicated to outpatient services, with additional space planned for future outpatient expansion. The project also includes two parking garages and surface parking for 2,600 spaces. The new hospital will replace DeWitt Army Community Hospital, which opened in 1957.

‘‘We’re anticipating 3,198 staff,” Callahan said. ‘‘Today, I have 1,564. So you see, we’ve got a little bit of work to do over the next three years.”

The hospital is slated to be joint staffed with representations from all of the services and civilians. Callahan and Dr. Rick Repetta, director for integration at Fort Belvoir, described the new hospital as a ‘‘patient-focused” facility with ‘‘abundant” use of natural lighting and space.

‘‘Each of the [inpatient-care] rooms are single bed,” Callahan said.

Rooms will include enhanced filtration systems and design to increase infection control and noise reduction. In addition to being environmental-friendly by using rainwater for irrigation of surrounding greenery, healing gardens, courtyards and rooftop gardens, Repetta said, the new hospital will also make greater use of universal health care symbols rather than signage with multiple languages.

Callahan and Repetta also discussed commuting and transportation concerns regarding Fort Belvoir and northern Virginia. They said the Army is working with Virginia officials to address traffic problems, especially along the heavily-traveled U.S. Route 1 corridor and Fairfax County Parkway. Plans are being made for road expansion and other solutions to address commuter and traffic concerns, they said. Other agencies are relocating to Fort Belvoir as a result of BRAC as well, Repetta said. ‘‘It will be a challenge,” Callahan said.