Children's National Health System Names William P. Madigan Jr. Chief of Ophthalmology

Children’s National Health System is pleased to announce the appointment of William P. Madigan Jr., M.D., as the new chief of the Division of Ophthalmology. Dr. Madigan is no stranger to Children's National, having joined the medical staff in 2004 after a distinguished career in the US Army.

Dr. Madigan served as past division chief of Ophthalmology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) School of Medicine in Bethesda, Md. from 1995 to 2015. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and his Medical Doctor degree from USUHS, followed by internship and residency at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) in Washington, D.C., and a fellowship in Pediatric Ophthalmology at Children's National Health System.

He retired as Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at WRAMC and Consultant to the Surgeon General for Ophthalmology. As the consultant to the Surgeon General for Ophthalmology, Dr. Madigan conceived and implemented a worldwide refractive eye surgery program for our nation's war fighters and was responsible for the universal mandate to equip every service member with ballistic eye protection, saving the sight of numerous members of the armed forces.

During his time at WRAMC, Dr. Madigan was the Director of Pediatric Ophthalmology and the senior military pediatric specialist in Ophthalmology. While providing care to 450,000 beneficiaries in the Washington, D.C. area, he also received referrals for the most complex patients who were air-evacuated from around the world to WRAMC to benefit from his expertise. 

He is one of few awarded The Ancient Order of Saint Lucia by the Society of Military Ophthalmologists for exceptional contributions. Dr. Madigan is a past president of the Washington Academy of Ophthalmology and has served as a member of the Children's Medical Faculty Executive Committee. He served for many years as President of the USUHS Alumni Association and a member of the Children's National Health Network Board of Directors.

As an accomplished surgeon, Dr. Madigan brings a unique experience that spans the entire spectrum of eye care for children and for adults with strabismus. The Division of Ophthalmology will continue to thrive and grow with his leadership.