Bedford Veterans Affairs Medical Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital |
|
|---|---|
| United States Department of Veterans Affairs | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Bedford, Massachusetts, United States |
| Coordinates | 42°30′19″N 71°16′15″W / 42.50528°N 71.27083°W |
| Organization | |
| Funding | Government hospital |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | No |
The Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital is a special hospital in Bedford, Massachusetts. It is also known as the Bedford Veterans Affairs Medical Center. This hospital is part of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which helps people who have served in the country's military. The hospital opened in 1928 to help veterans with their mental health. Today, it offers many different kinds of medical care.
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A Special Hospital for Veterans
The hospital campus used to be very large, about 276 acres (112 hectares). By 2012, it was still quite big, around 179 acres (72 hectares). When it first opened in 1928, it focused on helping veterans with brain and mental health conditions. Over the years, the services grew to include many other types of medical care.
Honoring Edith Nourse Rogers
A very important person named Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers worked hard to make sure the hospital could also help women veterans. Because of her efforts, starting in 1947, the hospital began offering services to women. Later, President Jimmy Carter renamed the center in her honor. This shows how much her work was appreciated.
The Hospital Buildings
The main part of the hospital is its Main Building. This is a three-story brick building built in 1928. It is still used for medical care today. South of this building is the Administration building, also built in 1928.
West of the Administration building is the old Kitchen and Dining Hall from 1928. This building now holds offices and storage. Next to it, to the west, is the Acute Care Building, built in 1929. It is now called the Nursing Home Care Unit. Other buildings on the campus are smaller and are located mostly north and south of these main buildings.
A Historic Place
In 2012, about 177 acres of the hospital campus were recognized as a historic district. This means the area is important for its history and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district includes the main hospital buildings, as well as homes for staff and buildings for utilities and maintenance. Most of these buildings were built by 1947, and some date back to 1928. The district is a great example of an old VA hospital that helped veterans with mental health needs.
See also
- Northampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
- List of Veterans Affairs medical facilities
