NOVEMBER 18, 2025 — Walter Reed National Military Medical Center has launched Walter’s Way, a new approach to patient care designed to make scheduling appointments easier, faster, and more personal for active-duty service members, retirees, and their families.
Walter’s Way connects patients directly with onsite staff instead of relying on the Integrated Referral Management and Appointment Center (IRMAC), giving patients a simpler way to navigate appointments and access care across the hospital.
Currently, Walter’s Way serves patients in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, Dermatology, Pediatrics, Orthopedics, Physical Therapy, Behavioral Health, and Radiology/Pharmacy/Labs. Nurse triage is available for sudden illness not already under treatment, with options to book a virtual or in-person appointment if needed.
Patients using Walter’s Way can expect extended appointment times. Active-duty patients receive 30-minute visits—up 33% from the standard 20 minutes—and 45 minutes for annual physicals, with up to an hour for complex needs. Retirees and other beneficiaries continue to receive 30 minutes for routine visits and 45 minutes for physicals. Same-day virtual appointments are often available, and in-person acute care is offered within 24 hours.
Beyond scheduling, the program is designed to change how patients experience care at Walter Reed. Additionally, Walter’s Way promises what leaders call “presidential-level service”—care that is compassionate, efficient, and delivered by a team member at the hospital from start to finish.
Walter’s Way also ties directly to Walter Reed’s larger mission. By making it easier for patients to get care, this model supports the principle that “volume is readiness.” When the hospital is busy, it’s better prepared to meet the nation’s defense medical needs.
While Walter’s Way is in its early stages, leadership has encouraged staff in each clinic to adapt the new method to their departments and share ideas that can continue to improve the system.
This program represents not just a new phone line, but a shift in culture—removing barriers, improving access, and ensuring that every patient receives world-class care worthy of the nation’s flagship military medical center.
For more information about Walter’s Way, visit walterreed.tricare.mil/waltersway or to schedule an appointment, call 301-295-8901.
Story by Roan Smith
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center