50 years of providing quality health care to Veterans in the nation’s capital

In 1965, with much pomp and circumstance, U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey dedicated the Washington D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, ushering in a new era of caring for D.C. area Veterans. He called the medical center one the “most automated in the world”, with the most modern equipment known to medical science of the day.

Fifty years later, the multi-disciplinary medical center staff is upholding the tradition of providing quality health care to Veterans in the nation’s capital using the most technically advanced techniques and equipment available. From 3D mammography to more than 300 current research studies, the Washington D.C. VA Medical Center has made an impact in health care over the past 50 years.

While much has changed since the grand opening in 1965 — health technology, the Veteran population and even patient room configurations — some things have remained constant. The medical center’s multidisciplinary staff’s commitment to caring for Veterans and providing them with world-class health care remains unchanged.

“Veterans in DC have had continuous access to high-quality health care that meets their unique and changing needs,” Interim Under Secretary for Health Dr. Carolyn Clancy told attendees at a June commemoration event. “This is an incredible legacy and one we can all be proud of.”

The Washington DC VA Medical center contributed to this story.