About us

Video: Veteran Care in Milwaukee: An Enduring Legacy

With a rich history in a vibrant community, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center is looking to write the next chapter in its storied lineage of service to the greater Milwaukee area and our clinics throughout eastern Wisconsin.  In this video, you will learn about our rich history, the world-class care we provide to our Veterans, the varied employment opportunities we offer and the excellent training we provide to the next generation of health care providers.

About the VA Milwaukee Healthcare System

The VA Milwaukee Healthcare System provides you with outstanding health care, trains America’s future health care providers, and conducts important medical research.  

Health care and services

We provide you with health care services at 6 locations in southeastern and east central Wisconsin. Facilities include our Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee and 5 community-based outpatient clinics in Appleton, Cleveland, Green Bay, Oconomowoc, and Union Grove. To learn more about the services each location offers, visit the VA Milwaukee health services page.

The VA Milwaukee Healthcare System is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the VA Great Lakes Network. We’re an innovative care center within the Veterans Integrated Service Network 12 (VISN 12). VISN 12 includes medical centers and clinics in Wisconsin, Illinois, northwestern Indiana, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Learn more about VISN 12

Research and development

At the VA Milwaukee Healthcare System, we conduct research to discover knowledge, develop VA scientists and health care leaders, and create innovations that advance health care for Veterans and the nation. Our goal is to use research to promote better health and health care for all.

We offer Veterans the opportunity to participate in and benefit from our work. Our Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center participates in the Million Veteran Program (MVP), an important partnership between VA and Veterans. The program creates one of the world’s largest databases of genetic and health information. We’ll use that data for studies that may lead to new ways to treat disease and help Veterans live healthy, productive lives. You can decide if you want to participate. Whatever you choose, your access to health care and benefits are not affected.

Teaching and learning

Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center is a teaching hospital that provides a full range of health services for Veterans, with state-of-the-art technology as well as education and research.

Our primary affiliation is with the Medical College of Wisconsin, but we also work with 34 other colleges and universities to offer training in 27 allied health fields. Each year, we offer more than 100 residency training positions in all major medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties. We also provide training annually to more than 400 students in nursing and related health fields.

We’re proud of our partnerships with top institutions and organizations that support the educational mission of the VA.

Fast facts

• Our Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center includes a campus on 245 acres on the western edge of Milwaukee.
• Our hospital has 113 acute care beds, 150 domiciliary beds and 113 nursing home care unit beds.
• VA Milwaukee health care serves a population of more than 234,000 Veterans. In 2019, we provided care for 63,891 Veterans.
• We serve a 7,500-square-mile region that includes 16 counties in southeastern and east central Wisconsin.
• Our hospital is the VA Great Lakes Healthcare System’s northern tier hub for imaging and pathology/laboratory medicine. It was named for Clement J. Zablocki, a Milwaukee native who represented Wisconsin’s 4th congressional district for almost 35 years.

Accreditations and achievements

Our facilities and programs have received accreditation from the:

American Society for Radiation Oncology and the Commission on Cancer

The VA Milwaukee Healthcare System has received the following awards:

• The Paralyzed Veterans of America awarded the Clinician Excellence for Therapists in 2019.
• The ALS Association recognized the Milwaukee VA ALS Clinic as a certified treatment center of excellence.
• In 2018, VA honored our chief of staff, Dr. Michael Erdmann, with the Mark Wolcott Award for Excellence in Clinical Care Leadership.