History

Oklahoma VA Medical Center

The Beginning

As the end of World War 2 (WW2) neared, Oklahoma realized the need for expanded services to meet the demands of its growing Veteran population. Oklahoma Veterans of the Spanish-American War (1898), World War 1 (1914-1918), and WW2 (1939-1945) who needed healthcare had to seek treatment at Muskogee’s VA hospital, but room was not guaranteed. The backlog of 1,500 Veterans at Muskogee, plus many Veterans’ inability to travel across the state, prompted negotiations in Washington, DC to build another hospital. Oklahoma City, about 140 miles west of Muskogee, was selected as the site of the new VA facility, which would allow Veterans in the western part of the state to have easier access to care.

Will Rogers Veterans Hospital, late 1940s

In 1946, VA created a new region for Oklahoma City and in May announced they had secured funding for a massive 1000-bed hospital to serve western Oklahoma. However, no specific site had been selected and with the likelihood of construction taking several years, a temporary facility was needed to care for the Veterans just returning from the various theatres of WW2. Will Rogers Field (now Will Rogers Airport) was home to several Oklahoma City Public Health Department clinics, and in June VA selected the Venereal Disease Center’s building, due to its surgery wards and X-Ray, as a temporary 220-bed hospital. On July 15, 1946, the hospital received its first patient, Calistro Guerra, a WW2 Army Veteran, and on August 11 the Will Rogers Veterans Hospital was dedicated.

Oklahoma City Times, January 10, 1950

For two years, plans to build the new hospital stagnated due to an inability to secure a proper site. In 1948 the federal government purchased a 9-acre tract of land at NE 13th St. and Kelley Ave. However, budgetary cuts reduced the hospital’s capacity to 500-beds. Construction bids went out and by September 1950 building had begun. During this time, the United States entered the Korean War (1950-1953) and there was a steel strike causing supply issues and construction delays. Veterans remained at the temporary clapboard and tarpaper hospital at Will Rogers Field for years longer than anticipated.

Just after the Korean War ended, construction of the brand new 500-bed hospital was completed on August 7, 1953. On September 14, 1953, the seamless transfer of 96 patients was a success with new patients, now including Korean War Veterans, admitted shortly thereafter. Dedication of the hospital was held on October 4, 1953.

Oklahoma City VA Hospital, 1953

Expansions

When inaugural director, Dr. Clarence Bates, retired in 1957, his successor, Dr. Oren Skouge took the helm. During Skouge’s tenure the hospital grew its programming with the addition of an Animal Research Facility, a Sensory Isolation Tank, and an Alcohol Treatment Unit. It was also during this time that an affiliation with neighboring University of Oklahoma School of Medicine began as did affiliations with nursing students from Oklahoma Baptist University and the Oklahoma School of Nursing, making the VA hospital a teaching institution for several health professions. It remains a teaching hospital to this day.

In 1966, Dr. John Chase was appointed director. During his two-year tenure, he took steps to develop a much-needed research area. Construction on the new research wing started, plus intensive care and coronary care units were designed, under his successor, Dr. Charles Ryan. Dr. Ryan, who performed the first renal transplant for VA on August 20, 1968, extended the range of services the hospital provided by adopting the concept of sharing expertise with affiliated institutions. These joint services reduced costs while broadening diagnostic and treatment options for Veteran patients.

The four-story research wing was completed in 1972, during the tenure of Director, Mr. Dan Macer. Other expansions overseen by Macer included adding a Drug Dependency Treatment Unit in 1971 as well as the first medical center bylaws. A discussion on improving ambulatory care also began before Macer’s retirement in 1976 and continued with Mr. Robert Morris as director. From 1976 to 1978 the hospital underwent several renovations including the Ambulatory Care area, the Surgical Intensive Care and Coronary Care Units, plus the addition of an exercise laboratory.

Clinical addition under construction, September 22, 1982. Source: Oklahoma Historical Society

By the end of the 1970s, the Oklahoma City Veteran Administration Medical Center (OKC VAMC), was caring for Veterans from two world wars, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War (1955-1975). Recognizing the need for more space, an initiative to build a new clinical addition began and was completed in 1984. A corridor connecting the VA hospital with its neighboring affiliate institutions was also constructed which proved to be a major improvement in ambulatory care. That was just the beginning of several renovations and additions that took place within the next decade.

In 1986, Mr. Steven Gentling, was appointed director and with the new leadership came new improvement initiatives. The same year saw the addition of a new 10,500 square foot Health Wing and three years later another 5,500 square feet were added to the research facility. Six other wards were also updated and modernized. By 1994 a state-of-the-art 100,000 square foot operating suite was constructed to replace the original 1950s surgical rooms. The last years of the 20th century saw several more additions including a 40-bed Extended Care Unit, the Center for Alzheimer’s and Neuro-degenerative Diseases Oklahoma program, a 14-room “Hoptel” for patients who live farther away but need extended care such as chemotherapy, and the purchase of the Friendship House, a long-term residential treatment facility for unhoused Veterans.

While the OKC VAMC was growing to meet Veteran needs, it knew its reach was limited and an initiative began to extend its services to the surrounding areas. During the late 1980s satellite outpatient clinics in rural sections of western Oklahoma began when a temporary clinic opened in Lawton at their county hospital. By 1994, they moved to a newly constructed clinic on Fort Sill Army Base adjacent to the Reynolds Army Hospital. Another clinic opened in 1990, this time in Wichita Falls, Texas to serve the Veterans of southern Oklahoma and northern Texas. Today, the Oklahoma City VA Health Care System (OKC VAHCS) has grown its community outpatient clinics to a total of fifteen in Ada, Altus, Ardmore, Blackwell, Enid, Norman, North Oklahoma City, South Oklahoma City, Shawnee, Stillwater, Wichita Falls, and Yukon. In addition to these clinics, the OKC VAHCS also has DoD partnership with clinics on Fort Sill Army Base and Tinker Air Force Base.

Another major change occurred during the late 1980s when the OKC VAMC was designated as a regional coordinating center working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during civil disasters or conventional warfare. As one of 75 centers selected in the region, the OKC VAMC charted community inpatient beds for emergency programs and was the primary coordinating resource with FEMA. When the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was bombed, killing 168 people, on April 19, 1995, the OKC VAMC sprang into action by deploying a triage team to the bombing site, providing medical supplies, taking in casualties, and sending clinicians to area hospitals to support their efforts during one of the worst domestic terrorist attacks in our nation’s history.

Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing, April 19, 1995. Source: Oklahoma Historical Society

In 2010, the OKC VAMC was awarded $45 million for several construction projects. Work began on a new Oncology Center and parking garage, plus an expansion of the surgical care unit, outpatient mental health services, the north medical entrance, and the first and second floor clinical areas. The Oncology Center opened in 2012.

Today, OKC VAHCS continues to expand services to meet the needs of an ever-growing and diverse Veteran population which now includes those who fought in the Gulf War (1990-1991), Iraq War (2003-2011) and War in Afghanistan (2001-2021). Social programs and services for Veterans, including tackling homelessness and domestic violence, plus career transition assistance, suicide prevention, and patient advocacy are a cornerstone of the care provided by OKC VAHCS. Moreover, providing personalized care to minority Veterans, including LGBTQ+ Veterans, is of utmost importance and OKC has made great strides in improving access in recent years. Care also extends to caregivers of Veterans with serious illnesses so they may adequately support their loved one while also taking care of themselves. Plus, with the adaptive sports program, disabled Veterans are given opportunities to live active and healthy lives through recreation and athletics.

Learn more about the history of VA

Oklahoma City VA Medical Center Timeline

Jump to a Year

1946 to 1948
1950 to 1968
1970 to 1983
1986 to 1994
1995 to 2015

1946

11 April
War Department transferred the Army Air Force station hospital at Will Rogers Field to the Veterans Administration.

1 May
VA announced the approval of a 1000-bed hospital to be built in Oklahoma City. Negotiations began in 1944.

Artist rendering of proposed 1000-bed Veterans hospital, 1947. Source: Oklahoma Historical Society

13 June
Talks of taking over OKC’s public health’s Venereal Disease (VD) center at Will Rogers Field to deal with the 1,500 backlog of Veterans in Oklahoma.

1 July
Moving begins. The public health department’s VD center at Will Rogers Field starts moving to another building across the street. Their old building, which had surgery wards and X-Ray, is to be used as the temporary, 220-bed VA hospital.

Will Rogers Veterans Hospital, late 1940s

15 July
First patient received, Calistro Guerra, at new VA hospital at Will Rogers Field.

11 August
New Will Rogers Veterans Hospital dedicated.

1948

Site at NE 13 and Kelley is selected for new hospital. Federal government purchased 9-acre tract from state of Oklahoma. Due to budget cuts, the hospital capacity is lowered to 500 beds.

1950

Construction began in September.

Veterans hospital under construction, May 10, 1951. Source: Oklahoma Historical Society

1953

7 August
Construction is completed.

Veterans hospital construction complete, August 1953. Source: Oklahoma Historical Society

14 September
Patients from Will Rogers Hospital transferred to new hospital at NE 13 and Kelley. 96 patients transferred and those who could be discharged were sent home. It opened with 240-beds, which quickly rose to 440.

First patient arrives at new Veterans hospital, September 13, 1953. Source: Oklahoma Historical Society

4 October
New hospital is dedicated.

Dedication of Veterans hospital, October 4, 1953. Source: Oklahoma Historical Society

1968

August 20
Director, Dr. Charles M. Ryan, performed the first VA renal transplant.

1970

New research addition built.

1971

Drug Dependence Treatment Unit opened.

1972

Research wing on east side of hospital is dedicated in April.

1983

New clinical addition built.

Construction of laboratories and radiology clinic, March 31, 1981. Source; Oklahoma Historical Society

1986 to 1991 – Modernization of the wards

1986

10,500 sq ft Health Wing added.

1988

First heart transplant for OKC VAMC on 18 September.

1989

Research facility renovated and added 5,500 sq ft.

1994

Approximately 100,000 sq ft Operating Suite is constructed at west end of the VAMC to replace 1950s outdated surgical rooms.

Operating Suite under construction, January 7, 1993. Source: Oklahoma Historical Society

1995

On 19 April, the OKC bombing of Alfred P. Murrah Building killed 168 people, 19 of whom were children. OKC VAMC, a FEMA coordinating center, provided logistical support to the Disaster Mortuary Team, deployed a triage team to the bombing site, provided medical supplies, took in casualties, and sent its clinicians to area hospitals.

1996

A 40-bed Extended Care Unit opened on newly renovated 4th floor; Center for Alzheimer’s and Neuro-degenerative Diseases Oklahoma program is opened; Veterans Research Foundation is established; A 14-room Hoptel for patients who live a long distance and need extended medical care (like chemo).

1997

Friendship House purchased as long-term residential treatment facility for unhoused Veterans.

Friendship House at Oklahoma City VA Medical Center

2010

OKC VAMC awarded $45mil for construction of oncology center, parking garage, plus expanding the surgical care unit, outpatient mental health services, the north medical entrance, and 1st and 2nd floor clinical areas.

2012

Radiation Oncology Center opened.

2015

October 15
VA reorganized Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs); Oklahoma becomes part of VISN 19.