Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, BETHESDA, MD  –   U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on April 16, seeing firsthand the advanced technology and care provided to our nation’s heroes and their families.
This was Alsobrooks’ first visit to Walter Reed since she was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2024.

During her tour, Alsobrooks visited the 3D Medical Applications Center (3D MAC), where Director of Services Peter Liacouras explained that the center enhances readiness by enabling faster and more precise medical interventions, reducing surgical time and developing customized solutions for service members facing complex surgery and speeding return to duty of service members.

He also shared with Alsobrooks the center’s ability to create 3D models of patients’ injuries, allowing surgeons to plan procedures with greater accuracy and efficiency and have better visualization of surgical sites. Liacouras also showed Alsobrooks devices produced by the 3D MAC for patients to better perform activities of daily living including walking, lifting, and holding items, such as a toothbrush. In addition to Walter Reed, 3D MAC supports facilities throughout the Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Retired Army Col. (Dr.) Paul Pasquina, chief of the Department of Rehabilitation highlighted Walter Reed’s ability to help service members regain the skills needed to return to duty or successfully transition out of the military with as much independence as possible. The department houses physical therapy, occupational therapy, and specialized services such as adaptive sports therapy and amputee care in one location with the goal of maximizing functional recovery and readiness.

Alsobrooks met and shared a brief exchange with one patient, Samuel Kenyon, of the U.S. Coast Guard, in the Military Advanced Training Center (MATC) where he and other patients receive PT and OT to help them to adapt to their new abilities to improve their overall quality of life. Alsobrooks commended Kenyon on the hard work she witnessed him putting in while doing his therapy, as well as his positive outlook on his recovery and the care he has received at Walter Reed.

In the center’s Orthotics and Prosthetics Lab, staff explained to Alsobrooks that the lab provides a range of services using advanced state-of-the-art technology for design and production of customized devices focused on meeting the needs of patients.

Walter Reed serves as a referral center for many complex injuries and conditions, including those related to limb loss, and the Orthotics and Prosthetics Lab plays a critical role in supporting those wounded warriors and other beneficiaries, including infant family members, ensuring they receive the best of care and prosthetics.

“It was a tremendous honor to tour Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to see the outstanding, lifesaving work that our nation’s best and brightest are performing for the brave men and women, and their families, who have sacrificed everything for our nation,” said Alsobrooks.

“From the groundbreaking 3D technology that helps doctors across our nation prepare to safely execute difficult surgical procedures, to the cutting-edge prostheses that allow our loved ones to resume everyday activities, we owe these civil servants a great debt of gratitude for their care and compassion for Americans during life altering circumstances,” she added.