Central Texas Veterans Health Care System Celebrates VA’s Health Professions Education Week (March 13-17)
PRESS RELEASE
March 13, 2023
Temple , TX — The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes contributions of VA faculty and academic partners during VA Health Professions Education Week 2023. Training more than 118,000 future health professionals each year to provide health care to Veterans continues to remain VA’s academic mission.
Health professions trainees (HPTs) participate in over 7,000 wide-ranging training programs offered at 150 VA health care facilities, making VA the nation’s largest provider of health professions training. Health professions education in VA is conducted through long-standing partnerships with 1,400 U.S. academic institutions, including 96% of the nation’s medical schools.
“VA’s health professions education programs significantly enhance the quality and timely access to care provided to Veterans throughout the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System”, said Executive Director, Michael Kiefer. “We appreciate all who come to learn and train as well as the VA Staff that are compassionately and skillfully educate”, said Dr. Pawan Sikka, Associate Chief of Staff.
We want to take the opportunity to recognize and thank our dedicated health professions trainees, educators, our academic affiliates and most of all, our Veterans who actively engage in VA’s training mission. Our trainees and students often tell us the greatest reward of training at VA is serving Veterans.”
Currently Central Texas Veterans Health Care System has established over 250 affiliations with higher learning institutions and enroll or train approximately 1,300 Health Professions Trainees every year in a variety of disciplines. Offering training in more than 60 clinical disciplines, VA educates physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, physical and occupational therapists in the latest evidence-based medicine. Over 34,000 of VA’s HPTs come from Minority Serving Institutions, such as Hispanic Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. HPTs support VA’s ability to deliver and sustain high-quality patient care to Veterans.
Learn more about VA’s Health Professions Education Week and VA’s health professions training programs by visiting the OAA website or by watching this brief introductory video.