About us
At the VA Altoona Healthcare System, we’re dedicated to improving the lives of you and your family every day.
About the VA Altoona Healthcare System
The Altoona Healthcare System provides you with world-class health care and trains America’s future health care providers.
Health care and services
We provide you with health care services at 6 locations: the James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center (hospital) and 5 community-based outpatient clinics. To learn more about the services each Altoona health care location offers, visit the VA Altoona health care page.
Teaching and learning
The VA Altoona Medical Center is one of the leading teaching hospitals in the VISN 1 area. We have partnerships with the following colleges, universities, and training centers:
- Duquesne University
- Greater Altoona Career & Technology Center
- Mount Aloysius College
- Pennsylvania State University
- Saint Francis University
- South Hills School of Business & Technology
- University of Pittsburgh
- York Technical Institute
Fast facts
- In 2025, we served 27,960 Veterans in our 14-county service area.
- We had 1,288 employees, including 368 nurses and 42 physicians, in 2025.
- More than 15% of our employees (199) are Veterans.
- Our annual operating budget is approximately $278 million.
- We have 51 operating beds.
- In 2025, we had 521,503 outpatient visits and 277 hospital admissions. Our doctors performed 2,317 surgeries.
Accreditation and Achievements
The James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center has received a number of accreditations and has initiated several innovative programs designed to improve clinical quality of care. Some of our recent notable accomplishments include:
- Care Coordination and Home Telehealth
- Compensated Work Therapy program
- Home Based Primary Care program
- IHI initiatives on Central Line Acquired Infection, Ventilator Associated Pneumonia, and Acute Myocardial Infarction
- MRSA - Getting to Zero infection control program
- OEF/OIF Case Management
- Outpatient Substance Abuse program
- Pandemic flu educational awareness program with local community health care facilities and emergency preparedness organizations
- Recovery Coordination
- Suicide Prevention Coordinator
- Tele-psychiatry (provided at the DuBois VA outpatient clinic)
Accreditations
- The Joint Commission
- Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities