Western North Carolina VA Health Care System upgrades health care infrastructure

These projects are part of a record $4.8 billion in nationwide VA spending to modernize, repair, and improve the Department of Veterans Affairs health care facilities in fiscal year 2026 via the Veterans Health Administration’s Non-Recurring Maintenance program.

The Western North Carolina VA Health Care System’s improvement projects for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 are:

• Renovate Building 15’s 2nd floor at the Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville.
• Renovate the Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program’s shower at the Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville.
• Facility overhaul to upgrade and modernize infrastructure at the Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville.

“Improved facilities, equipment and infrastructure mean better care for Veterans, and these funds will enable the Western North Carolina VA Health Care System to achieve that goal,” said Steph Young, Executive Director. “Better care for Veterans is our goal, and these projects will enable us to achieve just that.”

These infrastructure investments are part of a host of important initiatives to improve VA during the second Trump Administration. Since Jan. 20, 2025, VA has:

• Reduced the backlog of Veterans waiting for VA benefits by 60%.
• Eliminated the backlog of Veteran families waiting for VA health care.
• Processed record numbers of disability claims, reaching an all-time fiscal-year high of three million claims processed Sept. 30.
• Opened 25 new health care clinics, expanding access for Vets around the country.
• Offered Veterans more than 1.9 million appointments outside of normal operating hours. These early-morning, evening, and weekend appointments are giving Veterans more timely and convenient options for care.

For more information, contact Scott Pittillo at scott.pittillo@va.gov.