History

San Diego VA Medical Center

San Diego VAMC has a long and colorful history. On May 30, 1969, ground was broken for a new Veterans Administration Hospital in San Diego on 26 acres of what was once Camp Calvin B. Matthews, a Marine Corps rifle range. The $35.5 million hospital, now the San Diego VA Medical Center, was estimated at 400,000 square feet and employed some of the best designs at the time to resist against seismic activity.

In Feb 1972, the Veterans Administration Hospital opened its doors to patients, providing emergency support after an earthquake caused extensive damage to the Los Angeles region. A month later, the hospital held its official dedication ceremony on March 15 to a crowd of over 2,500 guests including 49 members of congress, 78 VA officials, 142 state and county representatives, 76 local officials, 75 military attendees, four federal employees and 812 people from service organizations. At the time, its goal was inpatient care with 811 authorized beds to treat Veterans. By the end of the year, the hospital had treated 800 patients with an operating budget of $15-16 million.

The Veterans Administration Hospital in San Diego has since undergone several changes in name and function. In 1988, the hospital welcomed the opening of a state-of-the-art Spinal Cord Injury Clinic as an annex to the original building. In the late 90s, VA San Diego expanded its location to include three outpatient clinics located in Mission Valley, Chula Vista and Escondido. Several years later, three more clinics opened in El Centro, Oceanside and Sorrento Valley. This collective of care became known as VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS).

Today, VASDHS continues to serve San Diego and Imperial County Veterans with inpatient and outpatient care, innovative research, mental health, rehabilitation and social services.