Mission of the Office of Academic Affiliations
Program History: Title 38 U.S.C. mandates that VA assist in the training of health professionals for its own needs and those of the nation. For almost sixty years, in accordance with VA's 1946 Policy Memorandum No. 2. VA has worked in partnership with this country's medical and associated health professions schools to provide high quality health care to America's veterans and to train new health professionals to meet the patient care needs within VA and the nation. This partnership has grown into the most comprehensive academic health system partnership in history. Scope: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) conducts education and training programs to enhance the quality of care provided to Veterans within the VA health care system. Building on the long-standing, close relationships among VA and the Nation’s academic institutions, VA plays a leadership role in defining the education of future health care professionals that helps meet the changing needs of the Nation’s health care delivery system. Title 38 U.S.C. mandates that VA assist in the training of health professionals for its own needs and those of the Nation. Through its partnerships with affiliated academic institutions, VA conducts the largest education and training effort for health professionals in the Nation. In 2011, 116,794 trainees received some or all of their clinical training in VA. Of its 152 VA medical centers and 6 independent outpatient clinics (IOC's), 124 hospitals and 3 IOC's have affiliation agreements with 114 of 136 allopathic Accredited Medical Schools and 15 of 26 osteopathic medical schools for physician education, and in 40 other health professions represented by affiliations agreements with more than 1,800 colleges and universities. Many trainees have their health profession degrees and contribute substantially to VA’s ability to deliver cost-effective and high-quality patient care during their advanced clinical training at VA.
Teaching Mission: VA's teaching mission contributes to high quality health care of veterans in the following ways:
Successes: VA has led in development of new health care disciplines or modalities of treatment of high relevance to the treatment of veterans. A number of these, such as geriatrics, spinal cord injury medicine and addiction psychiatry, have become nationally recognized specialties within physician education. VA led the way in recognition of pain management as a vital health care concern; was an early leader in development of concepts of a team of professionals delivering health care; and has played a major role in defining the relevant definition of primary care as the context of care rather than the discipline of the provider. |