The Veterans Health Administration serves 5.8 million veterans each year. While the VA continues to make progress on access problems and address other needed improvements, these recent challenges shouldn't overshadow the incredible work being done every day on behalf of our nation's heroes.
Watch this video to see examples of the pioneering work the VA has done and learn more below.
In 1960, the first cardiac pacemaker, developed by a VA team, was successfully implanted.
Source: http://www.research.va.gov/topics/cardio.cfm
In 1962, while working at the Denver VA Medical Center and the University of Colorado Medical Center, Dr. Thomas Starzl performed the first long-term successful kidney transplant. Years later, while still on staff at the VA, he conducted the first human liver transplant. In 2011, Dr. Starzl received the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award for his career accomplishments.
Source: http://www.research.va.gov/topics/Kidney_disease.cfm
In 1984, the nicotine patch was developed by VA researchers Dr. Jed Rose, Dr. Daniel Rose, and Dr. Murray Jarvik.
The VA's Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service is the largest and most comprehensive provider of prosthetic devices and sensory aids in the world.
In 2007, a team of VA doctors and researchers collaborated with a team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brown University to unveil the first powered ankle-foot prosthesis.
Source: http://www.research.va.gov/topics/prosthetics.cfm
Dr. Ferid Murad, Dr. Andrew Schally, and Dr. Rosalyn Yalow from the VA have been recognized with three Nobel Prizes for medical discoveries relating to healthy blood vessels; brain hormone production; and blood research and detection, respectively.
Thanks to the hard work of our union and members, the House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee voted to give federal employees a 3.1% pay raise next year, rejecting the proposal to freeze it.
Read More
On June 5, AFGE VA members across the country stood together and received tremendous support from veterans and allies. The 68 rallies and events held by AFGE and VA employees nationwide shows the strength and solidarity of we have.
Read More
Our union is looking into all possible remedies, including workers’ compensation, for current and former workers who have been exposed to 81 different hazardous substances including lead, cadmium, arsenic, asbestos, and other potentially cancer-causing chemicals at the Goodfellow Federal Center in St. Louis, Mo.
Read More
