Fisher House to Open at Fort Belvoir May 22

Military and civilian leaders will dedicate the new Fort Belvoir Community Hospital Fisher House Tuesday at 10 a.m.

The Fisher House is the first to be constructed at Fort Belvoir and is joining a network of more than 55 Fisher Houses operating in the United States and Germany. Fisher House Foundation is best known for the network of comfort homes built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers.

The Fisher Houses are homes where families can stay while a loved one is receiving treatment. Additionally, the Foundation ensures that families of service men and women wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan are not burdened with unnecessary expense during a time of crisis. 

The 10,000 square-foot Fisher House will be gifted to the U.S. Army as part of the ceremony. The house consists of 12 suites, each with a private, handicapped-accessible bathroom. Families share a common kitchen, laundry facilities, spacious dining room and a living room with a library and toys for children.

There is no fee to stay in a Fisher House. Since inception, the program has saved military and veteran families an estimated $192 million in out-of-pocket costs for lodging and transportation. 

Fort Belvoir Community Hospital is a state-of-the-art, 120-bed facility and is one of the first military treatment facilities to use evidence-based design principles to better patient outcomes, decrease recovery times and to maximize provider and patient safety.

The $1.03 billion, 1.3 million-square-foot hospital opened in August 2011 consists of five total buildings, 44 clinics, 430 exam rooms, 10 operating rooms, two DaVinci surgical systems, two linear accelerator cancer/oncology systems and one of the military’s only dedicated substance abuse programs. Events at

Fort Belvoir Community Hospital Fisher House Dedication Ceremony:

• 10 a.m. – noon      
• Distinguished guest speakers from the Defense Department, Fort Belvoir Community Hospital and the Fisher House Foundation        
• Medal of Honor Plaque Presentation        
• U.S. Army Quintet        
• The official ribbon-cutting event and presentation of the Fisher House key