50 Largest Veterans Hospitals by Number of Staffed Beds

Since 1930, the United States has provided medical services for war veterans at Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals. Veterans that served in active military, naval, or air service with an honorable discharge all qualify for VA services.

Veterans administration (VA) hospitals

With over 7 million veterans seeking care in 2019, VA hospitals prioritize patients that incurred a service-related permanent disability. Other patients seeking care at VA hospitals include: 

• Former prisoners of war
• Purple heart recipients
• Housebound veterans
• Patients on VA pensions and Medicaid

Most VA hospitals are clustered in the Northeastern region of the United States. This likely correlates to higher population density in that area.

In June 2019, the Veterans Community Care Program MISSION ACT went into effect. This allows veterans to seek care at private hospitals if wait times are over 20 days for primary care or 28 days for specialty care.

Patients may also qualify if it takes them more than 30 minutes to travel to a VA facility or if a service is not provided by the VA. For the 4.7 million veterans living in rural areas across the U.S., reaching VA hospitals can be difficult. Patients may need to travel great distances between their homes and points of care. 

Veterans in rural areas may also encounter limited provider choices and specialty services. Telehealth has become an increasingly popular solution to this challenge. Telehealth allows rural veterans to access their VA hospitals through 4G mobile connectivity. With telehealth providers developing 5G digital health tools, we will likely see telehealth reducing wait times and improving care access for veterans.

Map of U.S. veterans affairs hospitals

Fig 1. Interactive illustration of VA hospitals in the United States. Data is from Definitive Healthcare's Hospitals & IDNs database. Data is from CY 2019. Accessed September 2020.

Top 50 VA Hospitals by Number of Staffed Beds

Fig 2. Data from Definitive Healthcare’s Hospitals & IDNs database. VA hospitals do not report financial data to CMS or commercial entities. Data reflects CY 2019. Accessed September 2020.

Veterans integrated service networks (VISN)

Veterans integrated service networks (VISN) are responsible for day-to-day functions of VA hospitals. They also provide clinical and administrative support for these facilities. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) oversees VISNs and VA hospital performance.

There are 18 VISN in the United States, with only 2 representing a single state. Like an integrated delivery network (IDN), a VISN is a regional care system. The ultimate goal of a VISN is to meet local care needs and improve population health access.

Learn more

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Originally published July 2, 2019