The Minneapolis VA Medical Center, which serves as the tertiary referral center for the VA Upper Midwest Health Care Network has 256 acute care diagnostic and treatment beds, as well as 104 beds through the extended care unit. This facility is designed to integrate patient care, education and research activities in order to provide state- of -the art medical care.
The Medical Center provides primary, specialty, mental and behavioral health and extended care and rehabilitative care. The Medical Center provides health care to over 45,000 veteran patients, compiling 419,000-outpatient visit in FY2002.
We have on of the largest education and training programs in the VA system.
Annually, approximately 1,000 students and residents and 1,500 other trainees are involved in education and training programs at our facility. We are affiliated with the University of Minnesota Schools of Medicine and Dentistry. In conjunction with affiliations, residency training programs exist in all of the medical, surgical, psychiatric, oral surgery and diagnostic specialties and subspecialties, except pediatrics and obstetrics.
The Research Service located in the Medical Center is among the largest and most active in the VA System. There are currently 60 scientists and investigators conducting 150 research projects in such areas as heart disease, nutrition, HIV, geriatrics, prostate cancer, cholesterol, chronic pain and chemical dependency.