About us
At the VA Central Iowa Healthcare System, we’re dedicated to improving the lives of Veterans and their families every day.
About VA Central Iowa Healthcare System
The VA Central Iowa 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 nine locations in central Iowa. Facilities include our Des Moines VA Medical Center and community-based outpatient clinics in Carroll, Fort Dodge, Knoxville, Marshalltown, and Mason City. We also have one mobile medical unit – our Des Moines VA Mobile Clinic – which we use to expand health services for Veterans living in rural areas. To learn more about the services each location offers, and the services our mobile clinic provides, visit the VA Central Iowa health services page.
The VA Central Iowa Healthcare System is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the Midwest VA Health Care Network. We’re an innovative care center within the Veterans Integrated Service Network 23 (VISN 23), which includes medical centers and clinics in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
Research and development
The VA Central Iowa Health Care System has a large, well-funded research and development program that includes studies in biomedical research, health services, clinical and cooperative studies, and rehabilitation.
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.
We currently have more than 220 active research projects in areas like:
- Infectious diseases
- Autoimmune disorders
- Cardiology
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- Schizophrenia
- Blood disorders (hematology)
- Surgery
- Oncology
Teaching and learning
At VA Central Iowa Healthcare System, we have an active graduate medical education program. Our Des Moines 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 residents receive training in many medical specialties and subspecialties, including general internal medicine, general surgery, vision care (ophthalmology), orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, urology and geriatrics. We also train medical students, interns, and nurses, and provide associated training in many other health professions.
Our medical center has affiliations with the University of Iowa College of Medicine, Des Moines University, Des Moines Area Medical Education Consortium, Inc., and other universities and professional schools throughout the United States. We’re proud of our partnerships with top institutions and organizations that support the educational mission of the VA.
Accreditations and achievements
Our facilities and programs have received accreditation from:
- The Joint Commission
- American Psychological Association
- College of American Pathologists
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- National Commission for Quality Assurance
- Commission on the Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities
- Long Term Care Institute
Annual reports and newsletters