At U.S. military hospitals, 'everybody is overworked'

June 4, 2007
At U.S. military hospitals, 'everybody is overworked'

The Army operates 36 medical facilities worldwide. For the past two years, more than half have failed to meet Pentagon standards for providing a doctor within seven days for routine medical care. And the Army has been forced to spend more money sending military families to doctors in nearby communities. Payments for outside referrals have jumped from $200 million in 2000 to nearly $1 billion last year, records show. Outpatient care accounts for 70% of those costs.

Goodrich points to a more immediate problem: the conflicting demands for limited funds. "(The Pentagon) says you're authorized this many people. It's not enough," Goodrich says of his staffing. "There's only so many dollars. If you've got a war, you need equipment, you need soldiers, you need body armor. If I had more money, I'd buy more doctors."