Training Sites
Department of Veterans Affairs NJ Health Care System (VANJHCS)

The Department of Veterans Affairs NJ Health Care System (VANJHCS) is a consolidated facility comprised of 2 main campuses and 14 satellite outpatient clinics serving the 628,000 veterans that reside in the state. Last year, 72,531 people received health care in VA facilities, including more than 6,200 inpatient admission and 677,000 outpatient visits.

Residents receive most of their training at the East Orange Campus, with specialty elective time available at the Lyons Campus. The medical centers offer a full range of services including acute medical, surgical, psychiatric, and nursing home care. There are also a variety of specialty programs and initiatives including Diabetes Education, Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Prosthetics, and Homeless Outreach Programs which have been recognized for outstanding achievement both within the Department of Veterans Affairs and the general health care community.

As the population ages, elderly and long-term care become critical issues for more and more patients. Care of geriatric veterans is a high priority in the VANJHCS, as more than half of the veterans in NJ are elderly. The VA was one of the first institutions in the state to have a palliative care team in the hematology-oncology section. All inpatient veterans in NJ now have access to the services of hospice and palliative care consultation teams. Residents also get exposure to a variety of specialized programs targeted to geriatric needs, including the Health Aging and Recovery Care Program (HARP), Comprehensive Integrated Inpatient Rehabilitation Program (CIIRP), and Home-based Primary Care. This exposure is essential in developing skills to meet the challenge of caring for the elderly population of the future.

An extensive VA research program exists in NJ, with almost 300 projects and an annual budget of $2.5 million. The VANJHCS has led the Department of Veterans Affairs in health services research that evaluate clinical practice guidelines for diabetic patients, and the East Orange facility was selected as one of the sites for a Center for the Study of War-Related Illnesses.

The VA intends to keep pace with technology and advances in the medical field, and is at the forefront of medical informatics. One of its biggest attributes is its Computerized Patient Record System, linking it to VA institutions across the country. It is a paperless system through which all patient care, including notes, orders, medications and scheduling is managed. This unique state-of-the-art system provides unlimited access to detailed comprehensive patient information, and is utilized by all practitioners at most VA sites, making it easier to manage and follow all aspects of patient care.

For more information, please visit the VANJHCS website at:
http://www.va.gov/visns/visn03