About us

About VA Washington DC Healthcare System 

The VA Washington DC 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 8 locations in the Washington, D.C. area. Facilities include our Washington DC VA Medical Center and 6 community-based outpatient clinics in  Washington; Fort Belvoir, Virginia; and Camp Springs, Charlotte Hall, Gaithersburg, and Lexington Park, Maryland. We also operate the Franklin Street VA Clinic, a community resource and referral center for Veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Our Franklin Street clinic is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To learn more about the services each location offers, visit the VA Washington DC health services page.

The Washington DC VA Medical Center is home to the VISN 5 Polytrauma Network Site and Polytrauma Amputation Network Site, which ensure the coordination of lifelong rehabilitation services to Veterans with brain injuries and limb loss as they progress from acute care to their homes. We also operate the Integrative Health and Wellness Program, a patient-centered program that offers services such as acupuncture, yoga, meditation, nutrition and health education, massage, qigong, and tai chi.  

Our War Related Illness and Injury Study Center is 1 of 3 centers in the nation that provides post–deployment health expertise through clinical programs, research, and education. Veterans come from as far away as Texas and Florida for comprehensive assessments and cutting-edge care. In addition, our Transition and Care Management Program assists returning Veterans by coordinating their health care, VA benefits, and other services while helping them deal with the physical, emotional, and social concerns related to being a combat Veteran. 

We are home to the VISN 5 Polytrauma Network Site and Polytrauma Amputation Network Site and ensure the coordination of lifelong rehabilitation services to Veterans with brain injuries and limb loss, as they progress from acute care to their homes. 

The VA Washington DC Healthcare System is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the VA Capitol Health Care Network. We’re an innovative care center within the Veterans Integrated Service Network 5 (VISN 5), which includes medical centers and clinics in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. 

Learn more about VISN 5  

Research and development

At the Washington DC VA Medical Center, 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. We offer Veterans the opportunity to participate in and benefit from our work. Our goal is to use research to promote better health and health care for all. With more than 300 active projects, our research and development team has had a dramatic impact on medical research. 

Major research areas include:  

• HIV/AIDS 

• Tuberculosis 

• Hypertension 

• Diabetes mellitus 

• Heart disease 

• Stroke 

• Rehabilitation medicine 

• Chronic pain 

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) 

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 

• Alcoholism and substance abuse 

• Mental health 

• Age-related illnesses 

Teaching and learning

Our Washington DC VA Medical Center is a teaching hospital that provides a full range of services, with state-of-the-art technology as well as education and research. We offer residencies and professional training in many major medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties. We also train physician assistants and offer associated health training in nursing, psychology, pharmacy, and more.  

We have affiliations with many leading colleges, universities, and professional schools throughout the United States. We’re proud of our partnerships with top institutions and organizations that support the educational mission of the VA. 

Fast facts

• The VA Washington DC Healthcare System serves the health care needs of more than 125,000 Veterans throughout the Washington, D.C. area, including parts of Maryland and Virginia. 

• We have more than 2,000 employees at our facilities, providing compassionate world-class health care to Veterans.  

• Our medical center completes more than 1 million patient encounters every year. Our medical center has 164 acute care beds and 30 psychosocial residential rehabilitation treatment beds. 

• Fisher House has 20 suites so that families of Veterans who are hospitalized can stay nearby.  

• Our medical center is also home to an adjacent 120-bed community living center, which provides Veterans with geriatric long-term, hospice, and palliative care. 

Accreditations and achievements

Our facilities and programs have received accreditation from the: 

• Joint Commission 

• American Psychological Association 

• American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer 

• American College of Emergency Physicians