CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune has a new name.

In a ceremony Tuesday, it was renamed as Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune. First announced by Navy Surgeon General, Vice Admiral C. Forrest Faison III, the renaming makes NMC Camp Lejeune the Navy’s fourth medical center, and the only medical center located on a Marine Corps installation.

Local officers from across Onslow County joined by Navy Medicine East Chief of Staff, Captain Cynthia Gantt, and former Commanding Officers of the hospital as Captain Jim Hancock and staff marked the milestone in Camp Lejeune’s history with a ceremonial ribbon cutting and cake cutting.

“This is all in preparation for readiness,” Captain Jim Hancock, commanding officer of Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune said. “These young men and women who have donned the uniform of our nation are going into far off places in order to save lives. So all of this not only provides great care here at the hospital and to the folks in North Carolina, but it also prepares these young men and women. It makes them better.”

The current hospital was built in 1983. It offers new services such as the Navy’s only Level II Special Care Nursery capable of caring for infants born as early as 32 weeks. More recent additions include a sleep lab, specialty surgical care, virtual colonoscopy and CT Angiography, Maternal Fetal Medicine clinic, Palliative Care support, and expanded emergency care.

NMC Camp Lejeune is also active in training the Navy’s next generation of medical professionals with a robust Family Medicine Residency program supporting 27 residents, and is the largest rotation program for Duke University’s CRNA students. Additionally, NMCCL is the principal teaching site for six medical schools, including the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, and hosts orthopedic residents and Occupational and Therapy students from East Carolina University.

“Readiness is the main mission of this hospital,” Martin Summerville, director of strategy and operations, said. “We believe in being ready for our warfighter, our beneficiaries, and the services our community needs.”

NMC Camp Lejeune offers medical support for the 60,000 Marines and Sailors of II Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Special Operations Command, as well as the 170,000 eligible family members and veterans.