About us
At the VA New Mexico Healthcare System, we’re dedicated to improving the lives of Veterans and their families every day.
About VA New Mexico Healthcare System
The VA New Mexico Healthcare System 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 14 locations in New Mexico and Colorado. Facilities include our Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque and 13 community-based outpatient clinics in Alamogordo, Artesia, Espanola, Farmington, Gallup, Las Vegas, Rio Rancho, Raton, Santa Fe, Silver City, Taos, and Truth or Consequences in New Mexico; and Durango, Colorado region. To learn more about the services each location offers, visit the VA New Mexico health services page.
The VA New Mexico Healthcare System is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the VA Desert Pacific Network. We’re an innovative care center within the Veterans Integrated Service Network 22 (VISN 22). VISN 22 includes medical centers and clinics in Arizona, California, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Research and development
At the VA New Mexico Healthcare System, we 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.
Teaching and learning
Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center our teaching hospital provides a full range of health services for Veterans, with state-of-the-art technology as well as education and research. We provide associated training in nursing, pharmacy, psychology, and other health care professions. We offer internships and residencies in many medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties.
Internships and fellowships
- Pharmacy residency programs
- Physician Assistant Post-Graduate Residency in Mental Health (Psychiatry)
- Post-Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Residency Program
- Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Residency Program
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Practitioner Residency Program
- Psychology Training
We have strong academic affiliations with several leading educational institutions, including:
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University of New Mexico (primary affiliation)
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Central New Mexico Community College
Fast facts
- The VA New Mexico Healthcare System serves the health care needs of Veterans in New Mexico, southern Colorado, and West Texas.
- The VA hospital in Albuquerque opened its doors on August 22, 1932. The hospital was built on 516 acres on the mesa along the southeastern city boundary of Albuquerque.
- In 2007, our medical center was renamed for Marine Capt. Raymond G. Murphy, who served in the Korean War. In 1953, Murphy received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration, for heroic action during the Reno-Vegas fighting in Korea. After the war, Murphy moved to New Mexico from his native Colorado. From 1974 until his retirement in 2005, he worked as a counselor for the VA and became the Chief of Veterans Services. Murphy died in 2007 and was buried in the Santa Fe National Cemetery.
- The VA New Mexico Healthcare System has more than 2,100 employees. About a third of our employees are Veterans.
- At Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center, more than 750 volunteers contribute over 100,000 hours each year to help us care for Veterans. Our volunteers provide many services that support Veterans and their families.
Accreditations and achievements
Our facilities and programs have received accreditation from the:
- Joint Commission
- American Psychological Association
The VA New Mexico Healthcare System has received the following awards:
- Partner for Change Award: In 2017, the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center received the from Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to environmental sustainability in health care.