A gold color metal and enamel insignia 1 3/16 inches (3.02 cm) in height consisting of a white escallop shell bearing four fir trees conjoined crosswise throughout, green with maroon trunks, all above a maroon scroll inscribed "CARE WITH COMPASSION" in gold letters.
The colors maroon and white are used for organizations of the Medical Department. The shell, an emblem signifying life protection, and the fir trees, symbols of life and health, stand for the Center. The conjoining of the trees refers to the close cooperation of the organization's highly trained specialists who function as a team rather than as individuals to achieve the Center's mission. The cross formed by the tree trunks stands for service, care and mercy. The shell combined with the trees also refers to the unit's location near Puget Sound in Washington, known as the "Evergreen State." In addition, the fir as a symbol of life, particularly of the spirit and mind, alludes to the neuropsychiatric field of medicine in which Colonel Patrick Sarsfield Madigan served so prominently and for whom the Center is named.
The distinctive badge originally approved for the Madigan General Hospital, 30 January 1970, is redesignated for the Madigan Army Medical Center on 15 August 1973.