The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center has been affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine since 1949. Today it is one of the VA's largest hospitals, serving Harris County and 27 surrounding counties.
This state-of-the-art hospital building that features advanced design and technology provides exceptional training opportunities for Baylor College of Medicine students, residents and fellows. Located on a 118-acre campus, the six-story granite building is designed with four exterior sections and four atria that contain patio gardens, wheelchair basketball courts, and a rehabilitation pool.
Veterans from around the country are referred to MEDVAMC for specialized diagnostic care, radiation therapy, surgery, and medical treatment including cardiovascular surgery, ophthalmology, nuclear medicine, and treatment of spinal cord injury and diseases. The majority of physicians at MEDVAMC are Baylor College of Medicine faculty and MEDVAMC serves as a major teaching center for Baylor College of Medicine trainees.
Education
Baylor College of Medicine medical students and residents participate in both inpatient and outpatient care at MEDVAMC. Physician assistant students at Baylor College of Medicine go to the MEDVAMC for rotations in geriatrics, internal medicine, psychiatry, surgery and other fields. The education program for nurse anesthesia at the MEDVAMC emphasizes geriatric anesthesia and, in particular, anesthetic care for open-heart, major vascular, thoracic, urologic, neurologic, orthopedic, ENT, eye and plastic procedures as well as anesthesia services outside the operating room.
MEDVAMC has 182 affiliation agreements with institutions of higher learning in 19 states. Each year more than 2,150 students are trained through these agreements. Health care students from fields such as nursing, dietetics, social work, and a wide variety of medical specialties receive training at MEDVAMC. This breadth of programs brings added diversity to Baylor College of Medicine training programs, providing students and trainees the opportunity to interact with individuals with varied perspectives and approaches.
The MEDVAMC conducts on-going resident and medical student orientation sessions. This training is extremely comprehensive, covering topics such as illnesses unique to the veteran population, patient rights and responsibilities, communication skills, conflict resolution, informed consent, supervision and position responsibility, medical record documentation, infection control, computer systems, and information about VA health care.
Research
Research conducted by Baylor faculty at the MEDVAMC, including programs shared between the two institutions like the Health Services Research & Development Center of Excellence, ensure veterans access to cutting-edge health care.