Our History
In November of 1940, the first Army hospital was established at then-Camp Stewart. The mission of the hospital was to provide medical support to the troops training to deploy to the European, Mediterranean, and Pacific Theaters of World War II. Construction of the hospital was quickly completed and the first patient was admitted on December 3rd, 1940.
In the years since World War II, hospital support was provided on Fort Stewart in various clusters of one-story wooden buildings. On January 1, 1983, a newly constructed hospital was built under the Savannah District Corps of Engineers. The modern four-story structure replaced the World War II buildings and also included an outpatient clinic, a light care facility, a logistics warehouse support building, and an energy support facility.
On May 20, 1983, the facility was dedicated as Winn Army Community Hospital (ACH) in honor of Brigadier General Dean Flewellyn Winn, Sr., M.D., a native Georgian. A graduate of the Army Medical School, BG Winn served with distinction during both World Wars and commanded several Army hospitals in the United States as well as overseas. In his nearly 40 years of service, BG Winn excelled as a clinician and leader, inspiring confidence in his Soldiers, and patients.
By the end of 1990, Winn’s efforts were concentrated on planning for receiving casualties from Operation Desert Storm. Designated as a secondary receiving center for casualties, the facility began planning to support an expanded inpatient load. Ancillary services such as Preventive Medicine, Occupational Health, Industrial Hygiene, and the Brace Shop were moved to outlying buildings to allow the space for an additional number of beds.
In the early 2000s, Winn ACH focused towards growing, improving, and enhancing the primary care services to Fort Stewart’s Soldiers, Family Members, and Soldiers for Life with the opening of the new Tuttle Army Health Clinic at Hunter Army Airfield, Lloyd Hawks Troop Medical Clinic, Troop Medical Clinic-North, and the Richmond Hill Community Based Medical Home. All of these facilities now serve as Patient Centered Medical Homes. Additionally, Winn ACH developed the Warrior Refractive Eye Surgery Program, supporting the readiness of service members throughout the Southeastern United States.
In 2007, the Warrior Transition Battalion was established as a subordinate command and presently serves wounded and transitioning warriors from all of Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In 2012, Winn ACH embarked on a significant expansion and growth to the main hospital. This transformation included the addition of two new buildings and the renovation of the outpatient wing of the hospital. The end result was a significant expansion to include increased behavioral health services for Soldiers and Families, a state of the art physical therapy treatment center, and a 25-bed Emergency Room capable of serving as a regional trauma center. Renovations to the existing facility included expanded surgical services, new patient records and patient service centers, and a new, larger pharmacy.
In 2013, Tuttle Army Health Clinic was established as a subordinate command, continuing to serve Hunter Army Airfield and the Savannah area with services including family medicine, flight medicine, pediatrics, and behavioral health.
Winn ACH is accredited by The Joint Commission, the College of American Pathologists, the American Association of Blood Banks, and the Food and Drug Administration, and all of Winn’s Patient Centered Medical Homes received the highest level of recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
There has been some form of hospital support on Fort Stewart during every major conflict from World War II through ongoing Overseas Contingency Operations. The Winn team continues to strive for excellence and is committed to providing high quality, safe, evidence-based healthcare to its valued Soldiers, Family Members, and Soldiers for Life.