Hospital medicine in the Veterans Health Administration: Strengths, opportunities, and future directions

Abstract The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is America's largest integrated health care system, serving 9.1 million enrolled veterans annually in 1,380 inpatient and outpatient healthcare facilities. 1 VHA aims to provide high‐quality, holistic, and veteran‐centered care. This mission‐driven approach has produced notable, unique strengths, including comprehensive service delivery with a strong emphasis on care quality, safety, and continuity customized to the specific needs of the patients it serves. 2 However, structural, operational, and policy‐related issues increasingly threaten VHAs ability to fully achieve its mission. In this perspective, we will highlight some key strengths of VHA clinical care, emerging threats relevant to hospital‐based care delivery, and propose actionable strategies to support sustained excellence for hospitalized veterans.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Hospital Medicine
Published
2026-09-21
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/jhm.70475
Primary Topic
Primary Care and Health Outcomes
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Hospital medicine in the Veterans Health Administration: Strengths, opportunities, and future directions

Andrea C. Smeraglio, Mel L. Anderson, Joel C. Boggan, Attila S. Nemeth et al.
Journal of Hospital Medicine
Primary Care and Health Outcomes
article

Hospital medicine in the Veterans Health Administration: Strengths, opportunities, and future directions

Andrea C. Smeraglio, Mel L. Anderson, Joel C. Boggan, Attila S. Nemeth, Naseema B. Merchant, Jessica Logan
article en

Abstract

Abstract The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is America's largest integrated health care system, serving 9.1 million enrolled veterans annually in 1,380 inpatient and outpatient healthcare facilities. 1 VHA aims to provide high‐quality, holistic, and veteran‐centered care. This mission‐driven approach has produced notable, unique strengths, including comprehensive service delivery with a strong emphasis on care quality, safety, and continuity customized to the specific needs of the patients it serves. 2 However, structural, operational, and policy‐related issues increasingly threaten VHAs ability to fully achieve its mission. In this perspective, we will highlight some key strengths of VHA clinical care, emerging threats relevant to hospital‐based care delivery, and propose actionable strategies to support sustained excellence for hospitalized veterans.

Journal of Hospital Medicine
MedStar Washington Hospital Center (US), Oregon Health & Science University (US), Duke University (US), George Washington University (US), Washington Hospital (US), Portland VA Medical Center (US), Yale University (US), VA Connecticut Healthcare System (US), Durham VA Health Care System (US), VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System (US), VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (US), University School (US), Washington DC VA Medical Center (US), Case Western Reserve University (US), University of Colorado Denver (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 6%
Primary Care and Health Outcomes
DOISourceOpenAlex
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