West Los Angeles VA Medical Center

West Los Angeles VA Medical Center
Photo of main building
Map
Geography
Location11301 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90073, Los Angeles, California, United States
Coordinates34°3′0″N 118°27′9″W / 34.05000°N 118.45250°W / 34.05000; -118.45250
Organization
FundingGovernment hospital
TypeVeterans
Links
Websitewww.losangeles.va.gov
ListsHospitals in California

The West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center is among a network of housing, shelter, utilities, food preparation facilities and a hospital mandated to permanently serve veterans at the West Los Angeles VA Soldiers Home. The approximately 400 remaining acres of the Soldiers Home is located adjacent to the West Los Angeles, Westwood and Brentwood neighborhoods of Los Angeles, has its own ZIP code and accounts for most of the over $1,100,000,000 Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System's annual federal budget. Operated by the Veterans Health Administration, the West Los Angeles VA Soldiers Home is the first U.S. government facility for homeless Veterans and the only one it permanently maintains in public trust to house them.

History

The medical facility, which sits on land donated by Arcadia Bandini de Stearns Baker in 1887,[1] was previously known as the Sawtelle Veterans Home. This became the Wadsworth Hospital in 1927 and was rebuilt in 1977 into the present modern building.

In 2011 a group of homeless veterans sued the center, claiming that the VA was renting land in the center for commercial gain and ignoring the needs of homeless veterans for housing.[1][2] In 2015, as part of the settlement of the 2011 lawsuit,[3] the Department of Veterans Affairs released a draft master plan for the future of the campus.[2]

In 2016, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced a plan to add 1,200 units of housing for homeless veterans to the hospital campus.[4]

The LA Metro D Line is being extended from Koreatown's Wilshire/Western station to the Westwood/VA Hospital station as part of the D Line Extension. This station will be located north of the hospital between Bonsall Ave., Wilshire Blvd. and I-405. The station will open in 2027 as part of Phase 3 of the extension, along with Westwood/UCLA station.[5]

  • Entry gate off Sawtelle Blvd.
    Entry gate off Sawtelle Blvd.
  • Entry near Wilshire Boulevard
    Entry near Wilshire Boulevard
  • Directional signs, Veterans Home and Hospital, west Los Angeles, California
    Directional signs, Veterans Home and Hospital, west Los Angeles, California

See also

Besides the hospital, other sites of interest at West Los Angeles VA Soldiers Home and adjacent federally owned, unincorporated land in the area of Sawtelle, Westwood and Brentwood:

References

  1. ^ a b Jaffe, Ina. "Los Angeles VA Has Made Millions On Rental Deals". Morning Edition. NPR News. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Draft master plan is unveiled for long-neglected VA campus in West L.A." L.A. Times. 16 October 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  3. ^ "U.S. settles suit over misuse of West L.A. veterans campus". L.A. Times. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  4. ^ "1,200 housing units for homeless veterans planned at West LA's VA Medical Center, UCLA baseball stadium to remain on property". Los Angeles Daily news. 28 January 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  5. ^ "Purple Line Extension Transit Project - Section 3 Fact Sheet – Station Locations" (PDF). Metro Los Angeles. Winter 2019. Retrieved 29 February 2020.