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About us

At the VA Providence Health care system, we’re dedicated to improving the lives of Veterans and their families every day.

About VA Providence Healthcare System 

The VA Providence Health care system is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the VA New England Health care system. We’re an innovative care center within the VA New England Healthcare System (VISN 1), which includes medical centers and clinics in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island.  

The Providence Medical Center is dedicated to providing high quality comprehensive outpatient and inpatient health care to Veterans residing in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Each Veteran who comes to the medical center for care is assured personalized care by a team of health care providers. A Primary Care Provider coordinates each patient's medical care, patient education needs and referrals to any of the medical centers 32 subspecialty clinics. The Medical Center's Ambulatory Care Program is supported by a general medical, surgical, and psychiatric inpatient facility fully-accredited by the Joint Commission. The medical center delivers a broad range of services in medicine, surgery, and behavioral sciences and is currently operating 73 beds. Veterans can also avail themselves of primary care and some specialty services at the VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) in New Bedford, MA, Hyannis, MA, and in Middletown, RI.

The Providence Health care system has approximately 150 board certified physicians and more than 1,500 full-time equivalent employees who complete the health care delivery team of professional, technical, administrative, and support personnel.

Nationally and internationally recognized clinical research activities enhance patient care in health services, dermatology, mental health treatment, pulmonary/vascular, rehabilitation, post-traumatic stress disorder, and alcoholism and drug abuse.

Learn more about VISN 1 

Fast facts

  • In 2020, the VA Providence Healthcare System renovated the Jonathan H. Harwood U.S. Army Reserve Center in Providence to accommodate our growing research programs.  

  • We serve Veterans in Rhode Island and in Bristol, Plymouth, and Barnstable counties in Massachusetts. 

  • Providence VA Medical Center offers 32 subspecialty clinics to meet the needs of Veterans. 

  • Our medical center maintains 73 beds. 

  • We have 150 board-certified physicians and more than 1,500 full-time equivalent employees. 

  • Our research projects total more than $20 million in funding. 

Research and development

At Providence VA Medical Center, 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. 

Our research and development department employs over 350 personnel who conduct studies in more than 250 research programs funded by the VA, National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and commercial grants.  

Our major research programs include: 

  • VA Rehabilitation, Research, and Development) Center for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology  

  • Center of Innovation in in Long Term Services and Supports  

  • Cardiopulmonary Vascular Biology Center  

  • Clinical and Translational Research Program  

  • Genomics Laboratory 

  • Million Veteran Program  

  • Vascular Research Laboratory 

We also conduct studies in the following major research areas: 

  • Cardiology 

  • Pulmonary disease 

  • Mental health 

  • Neuroscience 
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder 

  • Substance abuse 

  • Suicide prevention 

  • Homelessness 

  • Oncology 

  • Pain management 

  • Quadriplegia 

  • Amputation 

  • Pulmonary studies 

  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) 

Learn more about Research & Development 

Teaching and learning

We maintain affiliations with approximately 40 health professional schools and universities, such as: 

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