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VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York - VISN 2
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Bath VA Medical Center
76 Veterans Avenue, Bath, NY 14810
Telephone (607) 664-4000 • Fax (607) 664-4861
Welcome to the VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York at Bath. The Bath VA Medical Center (VAMC) provides an impressive list of services for veterans, including: inpatient and outpatient medical, behavioral, geriatric, diagnostic and therapeutic care. The medical center serves veterans in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes Regions of New York State, including: Steuben, Chemung, Allegany, Schuyler and Yates counties, as well as Tioga and Potter counties in Pennsylvania. The Bath VAMC is part of Network 2, comprised of the Syracuse, Batavia, Buffalo, Albany, Canandaigua and Bath areas. The Bath VAMC membership in the Steuben Rural Health Network (a collaborative system of local hospitals and community agencies serving the greater Bath area), aids in the provision of additional services that may be required by veterans. Firefighting and HAZMAT response support provided by the VA fire department and industrial hygienist is an asset to the medical center and the local community.
Key outpatient medical services including: primary care, wellness, disease prevention and outpatient specialty services fulfill the mission of this rural health care medical center with one of the most highly penetrated veteran markets in the country. Clinicians provide inpatient medical services on a 20-bed acute care unit that includes two intensive care beds. Additional consultative, surgical, and inpatient services are coordinated with the VA Western New York Healthcare System at Buffalo and Syracuse VA Medical Centers. The primary care program provides services at the medical center and at two Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) in Elmira and Wellsville. These practices serve an integral role in the provision of expanded primary and preventive medical services. A comfortable hospitality suite, “The Veter Inn,” is available for overnight lodging for outpatients and family members of seriously ill hospitalized veterans. Voluntary Service supports the delivery of veteran health services through volunteerism and donations from the community and service organizations in the area.
The medical center is a Network resource for geriatrics and extended care and has a 160-bed Community Living Center that provides a full spectrum of skilled nursing care, as well as medical care, physical rehabilitation, restorative nursing rehabilitation, end-of-life care and respite care. The NHCU also provides recreation, social work support, chaplain services and registered dietitian services. Within the geriatrics and extended care umbrella, the Home Based Primary Care Program provides primary health care in the home for homebound veterans. The program’s focus is to provide care to the complex chronically ill and/or terminally ill. The program provides services in the areas within a radius of 50-60 miles from the Bath VAMC and the Elmira CBOC.
Behavioral Health services provided at the medical center include individual and group treatment for depression, anxiety disorders, combat and non-combat PTSD and a wide range of other mental health disorders. Domiciliary care is also available to veterans at the medical center. The 220-bed domiciliary is a recognized program of excellence in the Northeastern United States and provides active residential rehabilitation directed toward development of the skills necessary for the return to community based living.
The Bath VAMC has achieved excellence in the delivery of all services provided to patients, employees, and the community. Accreditation has been received from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the Commission of Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities, National Committee on Quality Assurance, and the College of American Pathologists. VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York has received the Kizer Quality Award, and the Carey Award. The medical center is academically affiliated with the University of Rochester School of Medicine, Tufts University of Dentistry and numerous other schools of nursing and allied health.
Bath VA Medical Center History
The Bath VAMC began as a New York State Soldiers and Sailors Home. Initial funding for its creation was generated through a public appeal initiated by the Grand Army of the Republic in the 1870’s. The first cornerstone for the facility was laid June 23, 1877. The state facility, which had a peak population of 2,143 in 1907, was turned over to the federal government in May 1929 and in 1930 became part of the Department of Veterans Affairs. A Military and Medicine Museum containing artifacts dating back to 1776 is maintained on the grounds to honor the facility’s long history. A National Cemetery with roots dating back to the Civil War is also located on the Medical Center grounds. The Bath National Cemetery and the Woodlawn National Cemetery in Elmira remain open for burials today.
About Bath, New York
Bath is located in the Conhocton Valley at exits 38 and 39 on Interstate 86. Bath was founded in 1793 and
named for Lady Bath of England. The surrounding landscape is a rolling plateau cut by numerous streams and steep sided valleys. The landscape is dominated by farms and woodlands and has great scenic charm. The area is host to many leisure attractions. Fishing and hunting are very popular during trout, bass, deer and turkey seasons. Privately owned campgrounds and Stony Brook State Park provide additional recreational activities. Craft festivals, local wineries, the Corning Glass Center, Watkins Glen NASCAR races, water activities on Keuka Lake and band concerts in the parks are just some of the activities in the area. Bristol Mountain and Swain Ski areas are also close by for winter sports enthusiasts. Tying its past with the present, Bath has numerous listings on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as the home of the Steuben County Fair, the oldest continuously running county fair in the nation. Corning, Elmira, and Rochester, New York is all within one hour’s drive which allows access to metropolitan activities such as large sporting events, museums and theatre.
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| Reviewed/Updated Date: June 27, 2007 |
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