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History

Explore the rich heritage of the VA Kansas City Healthcare System.

Our History

On September 27, 1949 the Del Webb Construction Company of Phoenix, Arizona broke the ground on a 48 acre tract located at Linwood and Van Brunt Boulevards. About one thousand persons assembled on the hilltop to watch the ceremony. One hundred persons sat on the speaker's stand. They were civic leaders, Officers of veterans organizations and their auxiliaries, physicians and others who had an actual physical part in the building of the hospital.

Promptly at 3 o'clock, demonstrating almost incredible precision in the tim­ing, four B‑29 bombers appeared out of the Northeast, flying at about 5,000 feet. It was to be the role of the big planes to open the ceremonies by roaring over the speaker's stand and the crowd at 1,000 feet.

The program was delayed, however, as the planes passed two miles east of the site and roared off into the wild blue yonder.

Herbert H. Burr, a Congressional Medal of Honor winner, turned the first spadeful of earth.

After three years of construction, the ten million dollar hospital was ded­icated on October 5, 1952. It was the one hundred fifty‑fifth of the proposed 174 V.A. facilities and the thirty‑ninth completed in the post World War II building program. It was called the newest and most modern facility for car­ing for veterans in the United States.

At the time of the dedication, there were 27 patients, twelve full‑time physicians and two floors were open for medical care ‑ third floor for surgery and seventh floor for medical cases. In the initial stages of development, the hospital services were: 300 beds for general medicine and surgery, 40 beds for tuberculosis patients, 83 beds for psychotic cases, 77 beds for neurologic cases. Laboratories occupied part of the second floor for both clinical and research use. Also on the second floor were dental and x‑ray clinics, and an extensive rehabilitation clinic with physical medicine and occupational therapy equipment. Each was a model of convenience and had the latest equipment.

In 1954, two years after its opening, the hospital was averaging 345 patients daily and had admitted 5,647 patients. It had a staff of 18 full‑time physicians, 18 young doctors training in specialties and 72 consultant physicians from the field of private practice. Slowest to develop was the department for the mentally ill.

History of the Kansas City VA Medical Center

 Synopsis

  • Hospital opened October 5, 1952 
  • Original construction - $10 million; 3 years to build
  • 155th of the proposed 174 VA facilities
  • 39th completed in post WW11

Timeline

1952

  • Opened

1953

  • 1st 2 residents from the Dept of Medicine of the University of Kansas School of Medicine came on initial rotation

1961

  • Outpatient annex built

1963

  • Air conditioning added
  • Animal research facility built

1967

  • Fully automated elevators

1969

  • 3-ICU's opened
  • Boiler plant converted from coal to gas

1970

  • Outpatient dental program established

1972

  • Research and Education Wing completed

1976

  • Broke ground for new ambulatory care building
  • Completed installation of closed circuit color educational television system

1979

  • The first VICTORS low vision rehabilitation program in the United States was established at the KCVAMC

1985

  • Computers for employees

1989

  • Recipient of Presidential Award for Quality Improvement

1990

  • Become a “smoke-free” facility

1991

  • MRI facility dedicated

1992

  • Recipient of Robert W. Carey Award for Quality Improvement

1993

  • Windsor Manor Transitional Residence opens

1994

  • Hosted the 14th National Veterans Wheelchair Games

1998

  • New MICU opened

1999

  • Belton and Whiteman CBOCs open

2000

  • Nevada, MO and Paola, KS CBOCs open

  • Recipient of VHA Patient Safety Improvement Award
  • New SICU opened
  • Veteran Benefit representative opens office at facility

2002

  • Warrensburg and Cameron Outpatient clinics open
  • Primary Laboratory opens
  • New surgical suites open

2004

  • Opened Women’s Clinic (designated space)
  • Implemented innovative clinic initiative (DIGMA, Drop In Group Medical Appt)

2005

  • Progressive Care Unit opens; added telemetry beds
  • Chiropractic care added to on-site services

2007

  • State-of-the-Art Cardiac Cath Lab opens
  • OIF/OEF Case Management Program established
  • Smoke-free entrance

2008

  • PET/CT installed
  • Digital Signage added, improving communication to employees and patients
  • Greeter Program implemented

2009

  • Veterans Court
  • Shuttle Service (from parking lot to front entrance)
  • Teleretinal Imaging
  • Upgraded Signage entire facility and grounds
  • Hospice Unit opens
  • Blind Rehab Center
  • Excelsior Springs Community Clinic
  • Contracted with PlaneTree to implement patient centered care
  • Recognized by the National Center for Patient Safety in a publication “Developing a Culture of Safety: One VA Facility’s Story”
  • Rec Hall renamed to “Hall of Heroes”
  • Lowes Home Improvement Stores selects KCVA as their Heroes Program reciepient and their staff volunteers for work day at KCVA --- building the gazebo

2011

  • Cochlear Implant program begins
  • New Retail Store opens; 3-1/2 times larger than previous store
  • Mobile Medical Unit activated; traveling to Trenton, Bolivar and Carrollton, Missouri
  • Mother’s Room for KCVAMC female employees opened
  • Purchase completed for Kaiser Permamente Outpatient Building; Building renamed by employees, "Honor Annex"
  • Select Menus for inpatients begins
  • “KCVA Shines” Program begins, inpatients can now have their shoes shined during their stay
  • Opened medical center Social Media Sites, "Facebook and Twitter accounts"
  • CBOCs have mental health available via telemedicine

2012

  • Opened Radiation Therapy Building in Overland Park, KS
  • Veteran Transportation Service begins
  • Home Depot Home Improvement Stores selects KCVA for volunteer project; builds a walking path for patients and employees
  • 60th Anniversary of Medical Center; staff celebrations throughout the year
  • Wayfinding Kiosk added in Main Tower lobby
  • Former Prisoners of War ride in horse-drawn carriages in American Royal Parade
  • Major League Baseball and the Kansas City Royals donate resources to provide aesthetic upgrades to the Honor Annex, to include children play areas and a healing garden

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