More than 185 years ago, Navy Yard Pensacola became home to Navy Medicine’s newest command. Today, the current Naval Hospital (NH) Pensacola, the sixth to be built in the area and the first outside of what is now Naval air Station Pensacola, is the second- oldest still-existing Navy Medicine command in the country. states, Naval 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 the Naval Hospital 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. 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. 74 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 the hospital had a census of 1073 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. From 2004-2011, NHP repeatedly deployed over 10 percent 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, Fla., 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. 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 eight major hurricanes since 1975 and have been crucial in support of the USNS Comfort’s reoccurring “continuing promise” missions to impoverished nations. This included vigorous support to the victims the Haiti Earthquake in 2010. Since 1993, the Naval Hospital’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 and consecutively (2010-2012) won the Military Health System’s Patient Safety Award in 2010, 2011 and 2012, a first within the Department of Defense. In 2012, Naval Hospital Pensacola was the only DoD military treatment facility to receive National Committee for Quality Assurance Level III accreditation for 10 Medical Home Port teams.
