Skip to Content

Stories

VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System top stories.

  • VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System brought the National Games to you with it’s first-ever local adaptive sports event held on Sept. 29, at the Brentwood School campus

    brandt and gillum at inaugural adaptive sport invitational

  • Every Friday around lunchtime, between the towering trees behind Building 220 at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, a group of Veterans from all walks of life gather to cook, eat and strengthen their sense of community.

    Man slicing tomatoes.

  • When you meet Army Veteran Jimmy Villanueva, he’s quick to flash a smile. But that wasn’t always the case. For more than two decades, the former transport and supply soldier was living without most of his front teeth due to a motorcycle accident.

    Man standing in front of building.

  • As they enter the room, visitors are greeted with a wall-length image of a misty forest lined with tall trees. A sign reads, “You can’t stop the waves but you can learn to surf,” and a large picture window lets in an abundance of natural light.

    Room with a window and recliner in it.

  • For some people, service can mean giving a few hours of yourself, or weeks, months and even years, but for one man it was 50 years.

    Man paints a door jamb.

  • If only it were that simple. Veterans from the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System undergo rigorous training to prepare for these events with their rehabilitation therapists, and employees assist with the planning and execution of the National games to help them run smoothly.

    Otis Hopson (right) pictured with his son, also named Otis (left), at the Golden Age Games.

  • At VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, more than 70 certified peer specialists, all of whom are Veterans, work side-by-side with those who’ve served, using lived experience to help guide them through recovery from mental health issues, homelessness, and substance abuse.

    Two men standing next to each other.

  • One day, he’s this whacky guy who gets in all kinds of mischief. Next, he’s this badass Navy SEAL commander who leads his unit on a mission that makes your heart skip a beat or two.

    Chris fishing and with sheep

  • A few months ago, Air Force Veteran Cyntrea Cotton was living in fear. After a panic attack led her to put in an end-of-lease notice on her previous apartment, she left Los Angeles to regroup in Arizona.

    Woman stands on balcony.

  • Disclaimer: Information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. The consumption of wild, non-cultivated food carries inherent risk. 

    At West LA VA one can forage more than two dozen wild plants that are edible and offer health benefits.