VA to Consolidate Services of Two Boston Facilities

Washington, D.C. -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced that it will integrate and consolidate services currently located at its two Boston area hospitals.

The Department will consolidate inpatient services at its hospital in West Roxbury located at 1400 VFW Parkway and create a comprehensive ambulatory care center with 24-hour urgent care services at the site of its hospital located at 150 South Huntington Avenue in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood. The two hospitals, located only seven miles apart, currently provide services that significantly overlap.

Consolidation is projected to save $100 million over five years, and it will create a state-of-the-art center of excellence for ambulatory care at the Jamaica Plain facility. It will also maintain meaningful missions at both facilities, preserve the high standards of quality of care at both locations and offer a substantial return on investment necessary for the consolidation.

"Improving patient services, making access to care easier, and enhancing the quality of care are driving forces behind this reorganization. We have been able to achieve these goals elsewhere, and we're excited about the prospect for improving service to Boston veterans with this change. This consolidation provides a clear future vision for both the Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury facilities. This is a win-win for veterans in Boston," said VA Under Secretary for Health Kenneth W. Kizer, M.D., M.P.H.

Both the Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury facilities are important sites for medical education and research. At present, Boston University Medical School has a major teaching site at Jamaica Plain, and Harvard University has a major teaching affiliation with West Roxbury. VA sees a role for both universities at both sites in the future.

This consolidation follows the successful experience of 46 other VAMC facilities that have integrated their services at 22 locations throughout the United States in the last two years.