Birmingham VA Medical Center
The Birmingham VA Medical Center is a 313-bed Veterans Administration acute tertiary care hospital located at 700 19th Street South in the Birmingham Medical District on Birmingham's southside. It is affiliated with the UAB Medical Center and University of Alabama at Birmingham. Oladipo Kukoyi was appointed executive director in September 2021 after having served as interim director for several months. The health care system employs more than 3,000 staff members that serve over 71,000 Veterans in Alabama.
The hospital was constructed in 1952 near the University of Alabama School of Medicine's Jefferson-Hillman Hospital, helping expand that facility into a four-block University of Alabama Medical Center.
In June 2009 the Medical Center hosted the National Veterans Golden Age Games in Birmingham.
In August 2009 the Birmingham VA was ranked 8th nationally among VA hospitals for overall quality of care and patient satisfaction. The calculation included a top ranking for inpatient satisfaction and a top ranking in the Southeast for clinical quality measures.
On March 16, 2023 the Birmingham VA celebrated 70 years of service.
Facilities
The Birmingham VA Medical Center includes the 32-bed Southeastern Blind Rehabilitation Center. The medical center operates community-based outpatient clinics in Anniston, Bessemer, Childersburg, Decatur, Gadsden, Huntsville, Jasper, and Sheffield, and a Birmingham Vet Center.
In 2014 the General Services Administration approved construction of a $50 million Birmingham Veterans Administration Primary Care Annex and parking deck on the block bounded by 7th Avenue South and University Boulevard between 24th and 25th Street South.
Construction of a $30 million Birmingham VA Mental Health Clinic at 7901 Crestwood Boulevard began in 2020.
Directors
- Henry Schmidt, –1961
- J. B. Chandler, 1961–
- Hugh Vickerstaff
- Clyde Cox
- Rica Lewis-Payton, 2008-February 2012
- Greg Eagerton (acting), February-August 2013
- Thomas Smith III, August 2013-April 2014
- William Harper (acting), August 2015
- Stacy Vasquez, May 2019-July 2021
- Oladipo Kukoyi (acting), July 2021–2021
- Oladipo Kukoyi, September 2021–
References
- Parks, Dave (August 16, 2009) "Birmingham VA Medical Center ranks 8th among nation's VA hospitals." The Birmingham News
- Tomberlin, Michael (September 20, 2013) "$50 million-plus VA medical clinic and parking deck selects Birmingham site, development team." The Birmingham News
- Smallwood, Emily (January 19, 2023) "Birmingham VA celebrates 70 years of service" VA
External links
- Birmingham VA Medical Center website