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Description

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Minneapolis VA Health Care SystemVAHCS is a teaching hospital providing a full range of patient care services with stateoftheart technology as well as education and research Comprehensive health care is provided through primary care tertiary care and longterm care in areas of medicine surgery psychiatry physical medicine and rehabilitation neurology oncology dentistry geriatrics and extended care

Our hospital longterm care behavioral health and home care programs are accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations JCAHO In addition our rehabilitation programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities CARF Our laboratory and pathology services are recognized by the College of American Pathologists CAP We are also accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer

Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities view commission on accreditation of rehabilitation facilities web site

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations view joint commission on accreditation of rehabilitation facilities web site

College of American Pathologists view college of american pathologists web site

American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer view american college of surgeons commission on cancer web site

The Minneapolis VAHCS is designated as one of four Polytrauma VA Medical Centers As such the medical center receives active duty and veterans for rehabilitation of injuries such as traumatic brain injury blindness and amputation In July 2007 a new 10bed transitional and community reentry unit for polytrauma patients opened This unit provides continued rehabilitation therapies to assist veterans and active duty service members to reach their highest level of independence in the community They will learn to apply their rehabilitation skills in community settings in preparation to transition into their home communities

In 2006 a 20 million contract for the construction of a Spinal Cord InjuryDisorder SCID Center was awarded Construction on the 65000 square foot building began in May 2007 and was completed in October 2008 The center provides acute rehabilitation primary care and sustaining care for veterans with spinal cord injury and disorder The facility includes a 30bed inpatient unit with four ventilator dependent beds outpatient clinics therapies and offices A dedicated special procedure room provides urodynamics as well as other specialized testing The center is part of a national VA network of SCI centers

The Minneapolis VAHCS has Community Based Outpatient Clinics CBOCs in Superior and Chippewa Falls Wisconsin Hibbing St James Maplewood and Rochester Minnesota serving the south central south eastern north eastern and majority of central counties in Minnesota and the north western counties of Wisconsin Currently the CBOCs treat 14799 veterans

Minneapolis VAHCS has active affiliations with the University of Minnesota Medical and Dental Schools Over 733 University residents interns and students are trained at this VA each year In conjunction with affiliations residencytraining programs exist in medical surgical psychiatric oral surgery and diagnostic specialties and subspecialties The Minneapolis VA has formal affiliation agreements with 50 schools to provide allied health training in 19 programs It also has accredited hospitalbased training programs for Radiology Technicians Nurse Anesthetists Podiatry and Dental residents

The Research Service located in the medical center is among the largest and most active in the VA System There are currently 145 scientists and investigators The VA Research funding for fiscal year 2007 was 28471272 In FY 2006 researchers published 348 papers 170 abstracts and 17 books and book chapters

Mission Vision and Values

Mission
The Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System exists to Honor Americas veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and wellbeing

Vision
To be a patient centered integrated health care organization for veterans providing excellent health care research and education an organization where people choose to work an active community partner and a back up for national emergencies

Values
Trust

Respect

Excellence

Commitment

Compassion

Empowerment

Continuous Improvement

Collaboration

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History

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The history of the Minneapolis VA Medical Center begins in 1921 when the United States Veterans Bureau leased the Asbury Hospital in Minneapolis and the Aberdeen Hotel in St Paul to provide for hospitalization of World War I veterans from Minnesota and adjoining states

In 1925 an executive order of President Calvin Coolidge transferred a 160acre tract of land from the Fort Snelling Military Reservation and a Veterans Administration Facility was erected there Original cost of the building which provided for 557 hospital beds was 1277725 The building opened in March 1927 and by that June 520 patients were receiving treatment

At the end of World War II the facility had grown to no fewer than 36 separate structures These included five hospital buildings a recreational building an administration building nurses home attendants quarters one single and three duplex physicians residences a warehouse laundry garage power plant and a building housing a fire department

Even with additions and remodeling adding capacity of over 1000 beds a 1974 Veterans Administration survey found that the Minneapolis VA Hospital had the most serious space deficiencies in the entire VA system The decision was made to replace 90 percent of the Medical Center on its present site with a fourstory structure proximity to the airport limited the height of the building designed to house 845 beds Construction of this structure began in 1983 and was completed in 1987 Transfer of patients to the new facility Building 70 took place in 1988

A few Medical Center facts

The project cost 200 million 54 million under budget

At 15 million square feet the Medical Center is slightly larger than the IDS building in Minneapolis Minnesotas tallest building

Over 4000 rooms

A window emitting natural light is in each patients room which explains the reason for the three large atria in the facility

Automated Transport System ATS is used to deliver patient trays linen and sterile supplies The Transportation system includes 20 flatbed vehicles and 205 carts

The US flag in the Visitor Atrium measures 50 feet long by 30 feet wide Each star is 15 inches from point to point