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
Mission
To serve the Veteran who served us with excellence and compassion.
Vision
Set the standard for excellence in Veteran-centered healthcare.
The VA Atlanta Healthcare System provides you with exceptional health care, trains America’s future health care providers, and conducts important medical research. Each day, we strive to deliver care to Veterans that is timely, effective, and provided with kindness.
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.
Strategic Priorities
- Access to high-quality, integrated, and timely care
- Women Veterans Health
- Mental Health, Homelessness, and Suicide Prevention
- Improve Veteran and Employee Experiences
- Maximize Stakeholder Relationships
System Enablers
- Operational Efficiency
- Infrastructure Modernization
Characteristics
- Accountable
- Trustworthy
- Empowered
- Accessible
- Mindful
Values
- Integrity
- Commitment
- Advocacy
- Respect
- Excellence
Fast facts
- The Atlanta VA Health Care System instituted several improvements to better serve Veterans, and earned its third CMS star in 2025.
- Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center occupies 26 acres in Decatur, just minutes from downtown Atlanta.
- We offer 328 inpatient beds, including a Community Living Center, a domiciliary, and a residential treatment program.
- With an annual budget of $1.9 billion, 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.
Accreditations
Our facilities and programs have received accreditation from:
The Joint Commission
- Hospital Program Accreditation
- Behavioral Health Care and Human Services Accreditation
- Home Care Program Accreditation
- Opiate Agonist Treatment Program Accreditation
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Accreditation
Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities
- Advanced Low Vision
- Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program
- Mental Health Intensive Case Management Program
- Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center
- Health Care for Homeless Veterans
American Board for Certification (ABC) in Orthotics, Prosthetics, and Pedorthics, Inc.
American Psychological Association (APA) Doctoral Internship Program Accreditation
American Psychological Association (APA) Postdoctoral Residency Training Program Accreditation
American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) Residency Training Program Accreditation: PGY1 Pharmacy Practice
American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP)_ Residency Training Program Accreditation: PGY2 Geriatrics
American Society for Radiation Oncology Accreditation Program for Excellence
Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Care, International
Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies
Association for Clinical Pastoral Education Accreditation: Level I, Level II and Clinical Pastoral Education Residency Program
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- Post Baccalaureate Nurse Residency Program
- Transition to Practice Program
Council on Podiatric Medical Education (Council or CPME) Accreditation with report
Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation, American College of Emergency Physicians: Level I Gold
National Health Physics Program Accreditation
Accreditations Held Through Partner Institutions
- Graduate Medical Education programs hosted at AVAHCS through Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accredited institutions
- Social Work Training programs hosted at AVAHCS through Council on Social Work Education accredited institutions
Digital Newsletters and Updates
The Atlanta VAHCS distributes a Weekly Veteran Message and Monthly Digital Newsletter to all subscribers. Register today and stay updated on resources and information available to Veterans, family members, caregivers and stakeholders. Click here.