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Veterans Health Administration
NCPS is part of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the largest integrated health care system in the nation. The VHA serves the needs of America’s veterans by providing primary care, specialized care, and related medical and social support services.
The VHA health care system supports innovation, empowerment, productivity, and continuous improvement. Working together, the VHA provides a continuum of high quality healthcare in a convenient, responsive, caring manner — at a reasonable cost.
Health care is perhaps the most visible of all VA benefits and services. From 54 hospitals in 1930, VA's health care system has grown to 155 hospitals, with at least one in each state, Puerto Rio, and the District of Columbia.
Here are some facts about the VHA:
- 5.5 million people received care in 2006.
- 7.9 million veterans enrolled as of October 2006.
- 1,400 sites of care, including: 875 ambulatory and community-based outpatient clinics,
135 nursing homes, 45 residential rehabilitation treatment programs, 209 Veterans Centers,
and 1,088 comprehensive home care programs.
- Veterans Centers annually serve more than 130,000 patients and provide more than 1 million visits to veterans and family members.
- More than 90,000 volunteers provide approximately 13 million hours of service annually.
- Nearly 60 million visits to outpatient clinics in 2005; inpatient facilities treated 773,600 patients.
- Affiliations with 107 medical schools, 55 dental schools, and more than 1,200 other schools.
- Annually, more than 90,000 health care professionals are trained at VA facilities.
- More than half of all health care professionals in the U.S. have received training at VA.
VA’s medical system serves as a backup to the Defense Department during national
emergencies and as a federal support organization during major disasters.
VA has experienced unprecedented growth in the medical system workload over the past few
years. The number of patients treated increased by 29 percent from 4.2 million in 2001 to
nearly 5.5 million in 2006.
Veteran Centers are open to any veteran who served in the military in a combat theater during
war time or anywhere during a period of armed hostilities. Vet Centers also provide trauma
counseling to veterans who were sexually assaulted or harassed while on active duty, as well as
bereavement counseling to the families of service members who die on active duty.
VA provides health care and benefits to more than 100,000 homeless veterans each year.
While the proportion of veterans among the homeless is declining, VA actively engages
veterans in outreach, medical care, benefits assistance, and transitional housing.
Programs for alcoholism, drug addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder have been
expanded in recent years, along with attention to environmental hazards.
Learn More
Veterans Health Administration
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National Center for Patient Safety