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About us

At the VA Western New York Healthcare System, we’re dedicated to improving the lives of Veterans and their families every day.

About VA Western New York Healthcare System 

The VA Western New York 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 11 locations in western New York.  Facilities include 2 medical centers in Buffalo and Batavia, plus 9 community-based outpatient clinics in Buffalo, Dunkirk, Jamestown, Lackawanna, Lockport, Niagara Falls, Olean, Springville, and West Seneca. To learn more about the services each location offers, and the services our mobile clinic provides, visit the VA Western New York health services page

The VA Western New York Healthcare System is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the New York/New Jersey VA Health Care Network. We’re an innovative care center within the Veterans Integrated Service Network 2 (VISN 2), which includes medical centers and clinics throughout New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Learn more about VISN 2

Research and development

VA Western New York Healthcare System has a long history of conducting groundbreaking medical research. We developed the implantable cardiac pacemaker at the Buffalo VA Medical Center, starting in 1958, through a collaborative research effort involving Dr. William Chardack, Dr. Andrew Gage, and engineer Wilson Greatbatch. 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.

Major research areas include:

Coming soon!

We conduct much of our research in a 40,000 square foot research building, which provides a variety of common-core equipment and services. We also have dedicated clinical research space in our main hospital. We work in collaboration with the Buffalo Institute for Medical Research, Inc., a not-for-profit research corporation that was created to support approved medical research studies at VA Western New York Healthcare System.

Teaching and learning

Our Buffalo and Batavia VA medical centers are teaching hospitals that provide a full range of services, with state-of-the-art technology as well as education and research.  

The VA Western New York Healthcare System is affiliated with the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo and with 77 other universities and professional schools. Our students, interns, residents, and fellows receive training at our medical centers in biomedical sciences, audiology, dentistry, dietetics, health care administration, medicine, nursing, nurse anesthesia, occupational and physical therapy, pharmacy, and psychology.   

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

Fast facts

  • VA Western New York Healthcare System provides primary and specialty health care to Veterans living in Buffalo, Batavia, and many other communities throughout western New York state.
  • Buffalo VA Medical Center opened in 1950. It provides medical, surgical, mental health and long-term care services through a range of inpatient and outpatient programs.
  • Buffalo VA Medical Center is the main referral center for cardiac surgery, cardiology, and comprehensive cancer care for Veterans in central and western New York and northern Pennsylvania.
  • The Batavia VA Medical Center opened its doors in 1933. It provides geriatric and rehabilitation services, separate residential post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) units for men and women, and outpatient services.
  • In 1995, a New York State Veterans Home was built on the grounds of the Batavia VA Medical Center to provide Veterans with additional long-term care resources.

Accreditations and achievements

Our facilities and programs have received accreditation from:

  • The Joint Commission
  • American Psychological Association
  • Commission on Dental Accreditation
  • Healthcare Equality Index of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the country’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization

The VA Western New York Healthcare System received the following awards:

  • Partner for Change Award from Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to environmental sustainability in health care.

Annual reports and newsletters

Coming soon!