Hines VA Hospital is provider of choice for many veterans

Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital is the provider of choice for so many veterans in the Chicago area. It's a distinction we work hard to maintain by using advanced technology, and by having top providers and staff who deliver the very best care with wait times far shorter than what nonveterans see in the private sector.

As we run one of the nation's largest VA hospitals, offering a wide array of services and specialties, as well as several community clinics, there is so much more occurring behind the scenes.

Hines VA Hospital is regularly preparing for disasters. The training includes transporting staff and equipment, and working with community partners at the local, regional and national level. As we crossed over the year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic last month, we continue to see the impact of our training.

We have had medical personnel and staff deploy all over the country to hot spots to assist with the pandemic as part of VA's Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS). We assisted with transporting equipment to ensure veterans at other VA's had their needs filled. We filled our Fourth Mission to back up the national health care system by aiding state veterans homes and caring for non-veteran patients in our community.

In December 2020, we started implementing VA's Vaccination Plan and have given more than 47,000 doses to veterans in our area.

Also, just last month, we had zero high-level findings in The Joint Commission's triennial accreditation survey of our facility.

I know I speak for all 3,700+ employees of Hines VA Hospital when I say we are proud to serve veterans of the Chicago area. We know they have earned our very best, and we are humbled to provide the care they deserve.