Veterans Health Administration (VHA):
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States, responsible for providing medical care to millions of veterans. The VHA is a massive healthcare network with: 172 VA Medical Centers across the country and over 1,100 outpatient clinics of varying sizes and specialties. The VHA serves over 9 million veterans enrolled in their healthcare program each year. This includes veterans with a wide range of needs, from routine checkups to complex medical conditions. The VHA offers a comprehensive range of medical services, including:
Primary care
Specialty care (cardiology, oncology, mental health, etc.)
Preventive care
Urgent care
Hospital care
Rehabilitation services
VHA evolved from the first federal soldiers’ facility established for Civil War Veterans of the Union Army. On March 3, 1865—a month before the Civil War ended and the day before his second inauguration—President Abraham Lincoln signed a law to establish a national soldiers and sailors asylum. Renamed as the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in 1873, it was the first-ever government institution created specifically for honorably discharged volunteer soldiers. The first national home opened November 1, 1866, near Augusta, Maine. The national homes were often called “soldiers’ homes” or “military homes,” and only soldiers who fought for the Union Army—including U.S. Colored Troops—were eligible for admittance. These sprawling campuses became the template for succeeding generations of federal Veterans’ hospitals.
By 1929, the federal system of national homes had grown to 11 institutions that spanned the country and accepted Veterans of all American wars. But it was World War I that brought about the establishment of the second largest system of Veterans’ hospitals. In 1918, Congress tasked two Treasury agencies – the Bureau of War Risk Insurance and Public Health Service – with operating hospitals specifically for returning World War I Veterans. They leased hundreds of private hospitals and hotels for the rush of returning injured war Veterans and began a program of building new hospitals.
Today’s VHA – the largest of the three administrations that comprise VA – continues to meet Veterans’ changing medical, surgical and quality-of-life needs. New programs provide treatment for traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress, suicide prevention, women Veterans, homeless Veterans and more. VA has opened outpatient clinics, and established telemedicine and other services to accommodate a diverse Veteran population, and continues to cultivate ongoing medical research and innovation to improve the lives of America’s patriots.
VHA operates one of the largest health care systems in the world and provides training for a majority of America’s medical, nursing and allied health professionals. Roughly 60 percent of all medical residents obtain a portion of their training at VA hospitals; and VA medical research programs benefit society at-large.