As Fort Leonard Wood’s new hospital prepares to open next spring, the base’s commanding general recalls the battle to keep the medical center from being downgraded to a clinic.

Major Gen. Christopher Beck said the proposal at the time was routine and included several military hospitals across the country.

“DHA, the Defense Health Agency – they were doing what organizations do,” he told Missourinet. “They try, just like we all do, to be as efficient as possible when they deliver their program and they have a nationwide, frankly, a global program. So, what they were doing is they were looking at ways to potentially trim costs.”

Gen. Beck said, though, that the team at Fort Leonard Wood “did a great job” of persuading the Defense department to not downgrade the base hospital.

“And frankly

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