Morehouse School of Medicine and Atlanta VAHCS Forge Nursing Academic Practice Partnership

The vision of the Atlanta VAHCS is to set the standard in Veteran-centered healthcare. Serving more than 180,000 Veterans, leading 3 medical centers, and overseeing a total of 22 sites of care, Atlanta VAHCS is poised to create opportunities and access for future students who will be equipped to serve Veterans upon graduation. Further, the Atlanta VAHCS serves over 29,000 women Veterans – the largest number of women enrollees at any system within the VA enterprise – providing future clinicians with a unique opportunity to learn about and treat the unique healthcare challenges of our heroes. 

This nursing practice agreement will: 

• Strengthen nursing education and aligning academic and clinical practice
• Advance care for Veterans, including women Veterans and underserved populations
• Expand opportunities for translational, clinical, and scholarly nursing research
• Build faculty and workforce pathways to support complex Veteran care needs
• Improve care access across Atlanta VA’s 50-county service area, including rural and healthcare‑desert communities

According to Dr. Connie Hampton, Associate Director of Nursing and Patient Care Services at the Atlanta VAHCS, this is more than an agreement, “it is a commitment to excellence in nursing, nursing education, expanding clinical practice, and most importantly, it is a commitment to ensuring that high quality healthcare reaches every corner of our community, while creating opportunities and access for future students who will carry this work forward.”

This program is not only for today’s learners, it also exists for future students. The Atlanta VAHCS maintains more than 160 academic affiliations, and the Nursing Academic Program includes nearly 60 positions across 4 programs. Atlanta VAHCS and its affiliates intentionally work to create a pipeline of excellence that will continue to grow, evolve, and expand. It provides access to high-quality education and clinical training to students and extends access to exceptional care to Veterans in rural and underserved communities in Georgia and the communities that our students will call home across the country. 

Through this partnership, Atlanta VAHCS will ensure that our Veterans receive the care they earned, the dignity they deserve, and the high-quality comprehensive care in support of their well-being. Carrying forward a legacy of excellence is essential for all Veterans across the nation. Together, Atlanta VAHCS and Morehouse School of Medicine are shaping nursing and healthcare for generations to come. “Nursing leadership extends beyond the bedside – it lives in the partnerships we build, the systems we improve, and the future nurses we prepare,” Dr. Hampton said. “Through academic practice partnerships like the Morehouse School of Medicine Graduate Nursing Program, we ensure the next generation of nurses are equipped to lead, innovate, and serve.”