Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital, located 12 miles west of downtown Chicago on a large 147 acre campus, offers primary, extended and specialty care and serves as a tertiary care referral center (level 7) for our Network. While Hines currently operates 483 beds, primary care is the focus of Hines' community based outpatient clinics in Manteno, Elgin, Oak Lawn, Aurora, LaSalle and Joliet. Over 546,450 patient visits occurred during Fiscal Year '07,providing care to 54,830 veterans. Hines is affiliated with approximately 70 colleges and universities for the education of undergraduate and graduate students in the associated health professions and occupations and professional students in medicine, nursing and dentistry. Hines is institutionally affiliated with Loyola University of Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine and maintains an affiliation with the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago. Specialized clinical programs in areas such as Blind Rehabilitation, Spinal Cord Injury, Cardiovascular Surgery, Level 2 Poly-Trauma Center and Residential Care are examples of additional services provided at Hines. The hospital serves as the VISN 12 southern tier hub for Pathology, Radiology, Radiation Therapy, Human Resources and Fiscal services. Hines has one of the largest and more diverse research programs in the VHA system, with approximately 550 projects, 160 invesigators, an estimated budget of $19.5 million (VA and non-VA). Major areas include the Health Services R&D center, the Cooperative Studies Coordinating Center, Rehabilitation Resarch and Development, Biomedical Research and a major clinical trials program.