Originally named Georgetown University Hospital, it became part of the MedStar Health network in 2000.

In 1988, the hospital was involved in the important United States Supreme Court case Bowen v. Georgetown University Hospital, in which the U.S. Supreme Court held that agencies may not promulgate retroactive rules unless expressly authorized by Congress.

[8] The hospital has grown to include a community physician practice, the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, and scores of clinical departments and divisions.

[9] With primary care providers at nine sites in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital's clinical services represent one of the largest, most geographically diverse and fully integrated healthcare delivery networks in the area.

[11] In November 2021, Grant Verstandig, an entrepreneur and investor, donated $50 million to the hospital for the construction of the new pavilion.

Georgetown Neurosciences is first on the U.S. East Coast and the sixth in the nation to offer the Cyberknife, a relatively new device in stereotactic radiosurgery to treat tumors and lesions of the brain, neck, and spine.

In 2004, the hospital was awarded Magnet Status by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

[18] The Healthgrades website contains the clinical quality data for Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, as of 2018.