Washington Hospital Center is the largest private hospital in the nation's capital. A member of MedStar Health, the not-for-profit Hospital Center is licensed for 926 beds and, on average, operates at near capacity. Health services in primary, secondary and tertiary care are offered to adult and neonatal patients. Founded in March 1958 when three specialty hospitals merged into one, the Hospital Center occupies a 47-acre campus in Northwest Washington it shares with three other medical facilities. In fiscal year 2006, 46,155 inpatients were served --including 4,409 births-- and 366,248 outpatients. The Hospital Center has a medical/dental staff of 1,584.

Dermatology Residency Program
Washington Hospital Center's Dermatology Residency Program is a three-year program providing trainees with the education and clinical experience needed to become skilled and knowledgeable dermatologists. Fully accredited by the ACGME and the Residency Review Committee of the American Board of Dermatology, the program's comprehensive curriculum, dedicated teaching faculty, and urban clinical setting create a dynamic and rewarding training experience.

As a well-reputed facility in the nation's capital, the Hospital Center serves a diverse patient population, affording residents the opportunity to examine, diagnose, and treat a wide range of dermatologic conditions. Under the guidance and instruction of expert faculty, residents acquire a solid foundation in the practice of dermatology with opportunities for subspecialty experience.

The Department of Dermatology offers residents unique learning opportunities through its leadership in the field. The Department of Dermatology, in collaboration with the Washington Cancer Institute at Washington Hospital Center, has established the Melanoma Center, the only interdisciplinary group dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma in the Washington area. Dermatologists at the Melanoma Center perform pigmented lesion screening using epiluminescence microscopy and use computerized mole-mapping photography to follow patients with more than 100 nevi. The department, chosen as one of the original psoralen ultraviolet type-A (PUVA) centers in 1975, also maintains an active phototherapy program for psoriasis, mycosis fungoides, and other skin diseases. It has an extracorporeal photopheresis unit for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, scleroderma, and organ-rejection transplantation.