About us
At the VA Atlanta Healthcare System, we’re dedicated to improving the lives of Veterans and their families every day.
About VA Atlanta health care
The VA Atlanta Healthcare System provides you with outstanding health care, trains America’s future health care providers, and conducts important medical research.
Health care and services
We provide you with health care services at 22 locations serving a 50-county area in northeast Georgia. Facilities include our Atlanta VA Medical Center in Decatur and 21 community-based outpatient clinics in Atlanta, Blairsville, Brookhaven, Carrollton, College Park, Covington, Flowery Branch, Decatur, East Point, Jasper, Lawrenceville, Marietta, Newnan, Rome, Smyrna, and Stockbridge. To learn more about the services each location offers, visit the VA Atlanta health services page.
The VA Atlanta Healthcare System is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the VA Southeast Network. We’re an innovative care center within the Veterans Integrated Service Network 7 (VISN 7), which includes medical centers and clinics in Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina.
Research and development
At the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center, we conduct research to discover knowledge, develop VA scientists and health care leaders, and create innovations that advance health care for Veterans and the nation. We offer Veterans the opportunity to participate in and benefit from our work. Our goal is to use research to promote better health and health care for all.
Our research program includes over 400 projects conducted by 140 research investigators and more than 300 research associates and staff. Our program is closely affiliated with Emory University, and we also maintain partnerships with Morehouse School of Medicine, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance. Our partnerships support the highest quality research programs and an outstanding environment for basic and clinical research.
Major research areas include:
- Bacterial infection
- Diabetes
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- Hepatitis B
- Low vision devices and aids
- Low vision and disequilibrium in the elderly
- Engineering and design of facilities
- Genetics and regulation of bone growth and remodeling
- Development of gene therapy for diabetes
- Hormone action
- Kidney mechanisms of hypertension
- Growth factor interactions in lung development and disease
- Genetics of cancer
- Control of blood vessel contraction
- Drug addiction
- Clinical anxiety and mood disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Disorders of memory and cognition
- Clinical management problems in hypertension, oncology, gastroenterology, and pulmonary medicine
Teaching and learning
The Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center is a teaching hospital that provides a full range of services, with state-of-the-art technology as well as education and research. Our affiliations include Emory University, Morehouse College, and many other educational institutions. We’re proud of our partnerships with top institutions and organizations that support the educational mission of the VA.
We provide professional training in most major medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties. We’re proud of our partnerships with top institutions and organizations that support the educational mission of the VA.
Fast facts
- Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center occupies 26 acres in Decatur, just minutes from downtown Atlanta.
- We offer 466 inpatient beds, including a 120-bed Community Living Center, a 40-bed domiciliary, and a 21-bed residential treatment program.
- With an annual budget of $25 million, our research program is ranked near the top 10 in the VA.
- Our Trinka Davis Veterans Village clinic is named for Katherine “Trinka” Davis, who owned Trintex Corporation in Bowdon in the 1970s. She had a passion for helping wounded Veterans and their families. The Katherine “Trinka” Davis Rynne Fund annually awards grants to nonprofit organizations that help local Veterans.
More coming soon!
Accreditation
Our facilities and programs have received accreditation from:
- The Joint Commission
More coming soon!
The VA Atlanta Healthcare System has received the following awards:
- EPA Federal Green Challenge Award, 2019
More coming soon!
Annual reports and newsletters
Annual reports
Coming soon!
Digital Newsletters and Updates
April 11, 2024 | Arcadia VA Clinic, Expanded Eligibility Form, Veteran Town Hall and More
March 29, 2024 | Director Announced, National Vietnam War Veterans Day, Facility Updates, and Events
March 15, 2024 | PACT Act Expansion, Women Veterans Town Hall, and Upcoming Events
January 24, 2024 | Rome CBOC and Fort McPherson Updates, Million Veteran Program, and Veteran Town Hall