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About us

Hershel "Woody" Williams VA Medical Center is dedicated to improving the lives of Veterans and their families every day.

About Hershel "Woody" Williams VA Medical Center

The Hershel "Woody" Williams VA Medical Center 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 6 locations, serving southwestern West Virginia, southeastern Ohio, and eastern Kentucky. Facilities include our Hershel “Woody” Williams VA Medical Center in Huntington, and four community-based outpatient clinics in Lenore, W.Va., South Charleston, W.Va.; Gallipolis, Ohio; and Prestonsburg, Kentucky. We also provide a Community Resource and Referral Center in Huntington, W.Va.

To learn more about the services each location offers, visit the Hershel "Woody" Williams VA Medical Center health services page

The Hershel "Woody" Williams VA Medical Center is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the VA Capitol Health Care Network. We’re an innovative care center within the Veterans Integrated Service Network 5 (VISN 5), which includes medical centers and clinics in Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Learn more about VISN 5

Research and development

At the Hershel "Woody" Williams VAMC, we work in partnership with Marshal University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine to 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 conduct more than 220 active research projects. Major areas of research include:

  • Infectious disease
  • Autoimmune disorders
  • Cardiology
  • Hypertension
  • Diabetes
  • Schizophrenia
  • Hematology
  • Surgery
  • Oncology

Teaching and learning

Hershel “Woody” Williams VA Medical is a teaching hospital that provides a full range of health services for Veterans, with state-of-the-art technology as well as education and research. We provide professional training in most major medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties. 

Our primary affiliation is with the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. In addition to our medical residency program with Marshall University, we have more than 30 training programs in over 20 health care fields, including dentistry, optometry, medical laboratory technology, pharmacy, and social work.

We’re proud of our partnerships with top institutions and organizations that support the educational mission of the VA.

Fast facts

  • Our medical center opened as a Veterans Administration hospital in 1932.
  • Our main campus on Spring Valley Drive includes an 80-bed acute medical and surgical care facility, a standalone women’s health clinic, and in 2021, opened an on-campus substance abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program building. 
  • In 2018, our medical center was renamed for US Marine Hershel “Woody” Williams.   At the time of the renaming, Mr. Williams was our last living World War II Veteran to have received our nation’s highest award for military valor, the Medal of Honor.   Woody was ever present for duty, serving this country as a staunch advocate for America’s veterans and gold star families.  We were honored to be his care provider of choice and remain committed to carrying forward his spirit of excellence in caring for America’s veterans, what we call the “Woody” way.    
  • In 2020, we opened the first Fisher House in West Virginia. Located on our main campus, our Fisher House can house up to 16 families free of charge for overnight stays during hospitalization of Veterans under our care. We expect to serve more than 600 families each year.

Accreditations and achievements

Our facilities and programs have received accreditation from the Joint Commission. We also received accreditation from the National Commission for Quality Assurance for our Human Subjects Protection Program. 

Hershel "Woody" Williams VA Medical Center has received the following awards:

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Annual reports and newsletters

Annual reports

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Newsletters

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