Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Oregon) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Veterans Affairs Medical Center(Portland, Oregon) |
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| United States Department of Veterans Affairs | |
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| Geography | |
| Location | 3710 SW US Veteran Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Coordinates | 45°29′49″N 122°41′01″W / 45.49707°N 122.6836°W |
| Organization | |
| Care system | Veterans |
| Hospital type | Acute care |
| Services | |
| Beds | 227 |
The Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Portland, also known as Portland VA, is a special hospital. It helps people who have served in the United States military, called veterans. This hospital has 160 beds for patients and provides important medical care.
It first opened in 1929 and is located on Marquam Hill in Portland. The hospital is right next to Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU). A cool bridge connects it to the Oregon Health & Science University Hospital. The first hospital building was replaced in the 1980s with a much larger one.
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History of the Portland VA Hospital
The land for the hospital was given in 1926 by the University of Oregon Medical School. This school is now known as Oregon Health & Science University. They wanted the land to be used for a hospital for veterans. Building work started in February 1928.
The new hospital began helping patients in December 1928. More buildings were added over the years. An administration building opened in 1932. After World War II, many temporary buildings called quonset huts were set up. In 1949, a new hospital section opened with 155 beds. This section was for patients with tuberculosis, a lung disease.
Building a New Hospital in the 1980s
In 1976, it was announced that a brand new hospital would be built in Portland. Some people tried to stop the project, even going to court in 1981. However, a judge allowed the building to go ahead.
The design for the new hospital was shown in January 1982. Famous architecture firms like Skidmore, Owings & Merrill helped design it. Construction began soon after.
The main new building was finished in September 1987. It officially opened to patients in February 1988. This new facility cost $136 million. The old hospital buildings were then taken down starting in May 1988. The new hospital was designed to have 478 beds.
Connecting with OHSU and Growing Services
In 1992, a long pedestrian bridge was built. This bridge is about 660 feet long and connects the VA Hospital to the OHSU Hospital. It was a big project, costing $7.4 million. This bridge is one of the longest of its kind in North America.
The Portland VA has continued to grow and help more veterans. In 2006, a new center for hearing problems opened. It was a large space, about 20,000 square feet. The number of patients visiting the Portland VA has increased a lot. In 2000, about 33,000 patients were served. By 2012, this number grew to 80,000 patients each year!
What Services Does the VA Hospital Offer?
The Portland VA Medical Center offers many important services to veterans. These include general check-ups, X-rays, and help with speech. They also have social workers to help patients and their families. The hospital provides prosthetics, which are artificial body parts, and rehabilitation services to help people recover.
There is also an emergency room for urgent care. The hospital has a pharmacy for medicines and a laboratory for tests. This hospital is an acute care center, meaning it helps people with serious but short-term illnesses or injuries. It is checked by an organization called The Joint Commission to make sure it meets high standards. About 80,000 people visit the hospital every year.
Building Features and Size
The main building of the Portland VA Medical Center is very tall. It has nine floors above the ground and two floors underground. There is also a small penthouse at the very top. The building is made of strong steel and concrete.
The main building has a huge amount of space, over 684,000 square feet. The entire hospital campus has even more space, over 1.5 million square feet! The long pedestrian bridge connecting to OHSU Hospital is also very strong. It used about 2.4 million pounds of steel and is held up by two towers, each 150 feet tall.
