Columbia VA receives funding for continued infrastructure improvements
PRESS RELEASE
May 15, 2026
Columbia, SC - Columbia VA Health Care System received additional funding for Non-recurring Maintenance projects in the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, continuing infrastructure investments that began earlier this fiscal year.
The funding is part of a record $4.8 billion in nationwide VA spending to modernize, repair, and improve health care facilities in FY2026 via the Veterans Health Administration’s Non-recurring Maintenance program.
Funded projects for Columbia VA in the second quarter of FY2026 are:
- Electronic Health Record Management (EHRM) Infrastructure Upgrades
- Patient Parking Lot Repair and Resurfacing
- Electrical Infrastructure improvements in the Inpatient Bed Tower, Building 100
- Elevator modernization in Buildings 9, 100, 106, and 100A
- Renovate for Digestive Disease and Endoscopy Design
- Replacement of Campus Sanitary Sewer System
- New Dental Vacuum System Design
“This funding allows Columbia VA Health Care System to continue modernizing and improving our infrastructure, so our facilities remain safe, efficient, and equipped to provide high-quality care for Veterans,” said Jeffrey Soots, Columbia VA acting executive director.
Of the total $4.8 billion committed for fiscal year 2026, VA has obligated a total of $1.064 billion. Obligation of funds includes:
- $795 million to repair and upgrade outdated infrastructure systems in medical facilities.
- $255 million for maintenance and modernization of facility infrastructure to support future electronic health record system updates.
- $13 million for major building upgrades like elevators, electrical systems, and boiler plants.
This investment is just one of many ways the Trump Administration is making VA work better for Veterans. For example, VA has:
- Enrolled more than 100,000 new Veterans in VA health care in 2026.
- Opened 34 new VA health care facilities since Jan. 20, 2025, expanding health care access for Veterans around the country.
- Reduced the backlog of Veterans waiting for VA benefits by 67% since Jan. 20, 2025, after it increased 24% during the Biden Administration.
- Completed 82,083,918 direct care appointments in FY2025, up 4.1% from FY2024.
- Offered Veterans more than 2.3 million appointments outside of normal operating hours, giving Veterans more timely and convenient options for care.
- Permanently housed 51,936 homeless Veterans across the country in FY2025, the highest total in seven years.
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Media contacts
James Branch, Public Affairs Officer