History
Explore the rich heritage of the Alexandria VA Health Care System.
Alexandria VA Health Care System
For 174 years the site of the Alexandria VA Medical Center has been associated with the military history of Louisiana. The Louisiana Legislature of 1852 provided that “a seminary of learning be established in Rapides Parish…on the north side of Red River.” The Louisiana Seminary and Military Academy opened its doors in January 1860 with William Tecumseh Sherman as its first superintendent. When the main building of the school was destroyed by fire in 1869, it was moved to Baton Rouge and became known as Louisiana State University. In the early 1900’s the site was used by the National Guard for drill and operated as a tuberculosis hospital. In 1928 the site was donated to the federal government for a permanent Veterans hospital. A 419-bed general medical and surgical hospital opened on December 6, 1929 with buildings and equipment valued at $1.87 million. A staff of 18 doctors, 29 nurses, and a corps of 239 operated the hospital.
Today the Alexandria VA Health Care System consists of the medical center in Alexandria and clinics in Fort Johnson, Jennings, Lafayette, Lake Charles and Natchitoches. The facilities employs more than 1,200 staff to care for approximately 32,000 Veterans in 23 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes. The Alexandria VA is a teaching hospital, providing a full range of services with state-of-the-art technology and education. Comprehensive acute and extended health care is provided in the areas of medicine, surgery, psychiatry, physical medicine and rehabilitation, dentistry, and geriatrics.