VA Portland Health Care System To Host U.S. Navy And U.S. Coast Guard Personnel During Portland’s Rose Festival Fleet Week - 06/02/26

WHAT: VA Portland Health Care System will host personnel from the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard during their visit to Portland for Rose Festival Fleet Week. The visit is part of a long-standing tradition in which Sailors spend time with Veterans at VA Portland’s main campus and the Vancouver campus. The U.S. Navy Band Brass Quintet will perform a number of selections in the Atrium of the main campus (10:00 a.m. – Noon), and this year’s visit also commemorates the 250^th anniversary of the founding of the United States as part of the “Freedom 250” observances.

WHO: Approximately 44 personnel from the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard participating in Fleet Week and Veterans at the Portland and Vancouver VA Medical Centers. Media is welcome to cover the event.

WHEN: Thursday, June 4, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: In person, at:

• Building 100

Portland VA Medical Center

3710 Southwest US Veterans Hospital Rd.
Portland, OR 97239
 

• Building 11 and Community Living Center (CLC)
  Vancouver VA Medical Center
  1601 East 4th Plain Blvd.
  Vancouver, WA 98661

VA Portland Health Care System Receives Top Marks In 2026 CMS Report - 05/20/26

PORTLAND, Ore. – VA Portland Health Care System received a five-star rating in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ annual Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating report. VA Portland Health Care System last received a five-star rating in 2024 and was recently awarded the Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval.

CMS’ Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings are based on five categories: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, and timely and effective care. A higher star rating, out of five, indicates better performance along these quality measures.

“Receiving a five-star rating from CMS is a reflection of the dedication our entire team brings to caring for Veterans every day,” said Karla Azcuy, director of VA Portland Health Care System. “This rating underscores our commitment to delivering safe, timely and high-quality care, and we are proud to contribute to VA’s continued nationwide excellence.”

Nationwide, 42% of VA hospitals that received a rating received an Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating of four or five stars in 2026. (Data provided by CMS.gov, April 2026 report: https://data.cms.gov/provider-data/topics/hospitals/overall-hospital-quality-star-rating). View the star ratings for each facility and methodology for the ratings.

This is the fourth consecutive year that VA has outperformed non-VA care, and the second year in a row that no VA hospital received a one-star rating. The percentage of VA hospitals receiving four or five stars has grown dramatically in the last two years:

• 2023, 67%
• 2024, 58%
• 2025, 77%
• 2026, 78%

This year’s CMS report is just one example of how VA is working better for Veterans. Among other improvements, VA has:

• Enrolled more than 125,000 new Veterans in VA health care in 2026.
• Opened 35 new VA health care facilities since Jan. 20, 2025, expanding health care access for Veterans around the country.
• Reduced the backlog of Veterans waiting for VA benefits by 70% since Jan. 20, 2025, after it increased 24% during the prior administration.
• Completed 82,083,918 direct care appointments in FY2025, up 4.1% from FY2024.
• Offered Veterans more than 2.5 million appointments outside of normal operating hours, giving Veterans more timely and convenient options for care.
• Permanently housed 51,936 homeless Veterans across the country in FY2025, the highest total in seven years.

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VA FARMS To Collaborate With Legacy Health’s Therapeutic Garden Program, Vancouver Bee Project On Native Pollinator Garden To Benefit Veterans’ Wellness - 05/19/26

WHAT: VA Portland Health Care System is hosting an unveiling event for a new community‑driven native pollinator garden on the Vancouver VA campus. The project is a collaboration among VA FARMS, the Vancouver Bee Project, and Legacy Health’s Therapeutic Garden Program. Over the last few months, Veterans, volunteers, youth, and community organizations helped install the vibrant native habitat that supports local bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.

Children enrolled in Legacy Health System’s therapeutic garden program have worked with a horticultural therapist to curate a list of plants suitable for the VA FARMS space. Community organizations such as The Elks and Nature Play Designs have assisted in procuring plants for this project.

The initiative will help Veterans build new skills in sustainable gardening techniques while building connection with peers over the shared purpose of environmental stewardship.

This project highlights how nature can give communities all over the Pacific Northwest an opportunity to work together to promote the health of our native ecosystems.

WHO: Veterans, their families and caregivers and members of the media are invited.

WHEN: Friday, May 22, 2026, starting at 10 a.m.

WHERE: 1601 E Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver, WA 98661. VA FARMS is located in the southwest corner of the Vancouver VA campus, next to building 1819.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: For media inquiries and to RSVP, contact Public Affairs at 360-759-1901, or via email at raymond.choy@va.gov.

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VA Portland Health Care System Receives Funding For Continued Infrastructure Improvements - 05/15/26

PORTLAND, Ore. – VA Portland Health Care System received funding for Non-recurring Maintenance projects in the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, after receiving funding in the first quarter of the fiscal year.

The funding is part of a record $4.8 billion in nationwide VA spending to modernize, repair, and improve health care facilities in FY2026 via the Veterans Health Administration’s Non-recurring Maintenance program.

VA Portland Health Care System improvement projects for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026 are:

• Vancouver Campus – Bldg. 2 HVAC – Laundry and Warehouse upgrade for ventilation, heating and cooling
• Portland Campus – Electrical – improves hospital electrical resilience, replaces 75 large breakers, and improves chilled water production
• Vancouver Campus – CLC Med Gas Outlets – E-wing (Comprehensive Rehabilitation Unit) medical gas replacement
• Vancouver & Portland Campus – EHRM Phase 2 – completes information technology requirements for September 2027 Federal EHR deployment

“This funding allows VA Portland Health Care System to continue modernizing and improving, so our facility remains safe, efficient, and equipped to provide high-quality care for our Veterans in the Portland-Metro area,” said Karla Azcuy, Director.

Of the total $4.8 billion committed for fiscal year 2026, VA has obligated a total of $1.064 billion. Obligation of funds includes:

• $795 million to repair and upgrade outdated infrastructure systems in medical facilities.
• $255 million for maintenance and modernization of facility infrastructure to support future electronic health record system updates.
• $13 million for major building upgrades like elevators, electrical systems, and boiler plants.

This investment is just one of many ways the Trump Administration is making VA work better for Veterans. For example, VA has: 

• Enrolled more than 100,000 new Veterans in VA health care in 2026. 
• Opened 34 new VA health care facilities since Jan. 20, 2025, Opening 34 new VA health care facilities, expanding health care access for Veterans around the country. 
• Reduced the backlog of Veterans waiting for VA benefits by 67% since Jan. 20, 2025, after it increased 24% during the Biden Administration. 
• Completed 82,083,918 direct care appointments in FY2025, up 4.1% from FY2024. 
• Offered Veterans more than 2.3 million appointments outside of normal operating hours, giving Veterans more timely and convenient options for care.
• Permanently housed 51,936 homeless Veterans across the country in FY2025, the highest total in seven years. 

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