Education programs strengthen VA’s health care workforce

VA celebrates Health Professions Education (HPE) Week 2026

Each year, VA celebrates Health Professions Education Week, when the department recognizes trainees, academic partners and education staff for the role they play in creating the next generation of health care professionals to serve Veterans and the nation.

Every day, more than 124,000 health professions trainees—including nursing and medical students, residents and fellows—train at 142 VA medical centers through partnerships with more than 1,500 academic institutions. These trainees also make up about one-third of VA’s clinical workforce and contribute significantly to the pathway of health care professionals for the nation as well.

Impacts VA and the nation

That impact is essential to the American health care system, as approximately 50% of all physicians have trained with VA at some point in their career. For VA, an estimated 69% of podiatrists, 75% of psychologists, 85% of optometrists and 65% of physicians trained at VA before joining a VA workforce—demonstrating the program’s critical role in sustaining Veteran care.

“This week we celebrate those involved in training the next generation of health care professionals as they care for Veterans,” said Dr. John Byrne, acting chief Academic Affiliations officer for the Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA). “From nursing students to residents, to our academic partners, to the health professions education faculty and staff, we could not train the nation’s next generation without this passionate and dedicated team of professionals. We thank them for their tireless efforts throughout the year and their significant impact on the nation’s Veterans and health care.”

For 80 years, VA has grown and improved these partnerships and programs through state-of-the-art technology, cutting-edge research and evidence-based care, making VA the largest provider of health professions education in the country.

VA’s commitment to innovative training and academic collaboration ensures the continued excellence and sustainability of Veteran care. By celebrating this week, we honor the essential contributions of VA’s education faculty, academic partners and trainees, and reaffirm our dedication to advancing health care education for the benefit of Veterans now and in the future.