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Top 10 reasons to work at VA 

There are a lot of places you could build a career. But VA can offer opportunities, camaraderie, and satisfaction unlike any other. Here are just a few of the ways a job at VA stands out from the crowd.

The best patients — Veterans! 

  • Give back to America’s heroes and help improve life for them and their families every day. 
  • Develop genuine bonds with patients to help you better meet their unique needs. 
  • Serve the most diverse group of Veterans in history and help them overcome a variety of health challenges.

The mission to serve America

  • We are united to deliver on President Lincoln’s promise to honor and care for the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to protect our country. 
  • Our culture is defined through our “I CARE” set of core values: integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect, and excellence. Every day, we’re dedicated to showing how much we care for our Veterans. 

Nation’s largest health care system

  • Each year, we serve over 9 million Veterans in 1,200+ health care facilities throughout all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. 
  • We employ nearly 400,000 health care professionals and support staff across the nation. 
  • A leader in clinical innovation and surgical quality, we perform over 600,000 surgical procedures annually. 

Innovation and cutting-edge technology

  • Be empowered to innovate through our Innovation Ecosystem, a catalyst for health care discovery that advances care delivery and service. 
  • VA is a leader in telehealth, with over 2 million Veterans accessing care through telehealth in 2021. 
  • We offer state-of-the-art tools, including speech-recognition capabilities, virtual technologies, mobile devices, and renowned knowledge-based resources. 

Education support

  • We offer a broad range of scholarships, tuition reimbursement, and loan repayment programs, as well as other educational opportunities to help you in your lifelong quest for learning. 
  • Employees with federal student loans may be eligible for the national Public Student Loan Forgiveness program. 
  • We conduct the largest medical education program in the country, with 7,000 training programs in partnership with over 1,800 academic institutions. 

Work/life balance

  • Enjoy flexible schedules, and sometimes even remote work options, to accommodate your needs and lifestyle. 
  • Take advantage of on-site perks, like child care, dining facilities, and fitness centers. 
  • Receive generous vacation and personal leave, including 13-26 paid days off, 13 sick days, and 11 paid federal holidays. 

Exceptional career benefits

  • Choose from a variety of high-quality health care plans, as well as flexible spending accounts. 
  • Plan for the future with access to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), life insurance, and long-term care insurance. 
  • Get protection from malpractice lawsuits, at no cost to you, under federal tort laws. 
  • Receive up to 15 days a year of military leave support for reservists and National Guard. 

Team-based, patient-focused

  • Dedicated professionals work on Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT) to coordinate Veterans care and promote total health and wellness. 
  • We’re a leader in patient satisfaction with more than half of VA hospitals receiving top marks on the 2022 Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems patient survey report. 
  • We integrate across the continuum of care — including providing mental health integration in clinical practice and embedding clinical pharmacists in primary care. 

Live and work anywhere

  • One active, unrestricted state license allows you to practice in any VA facility nationwide. 
  • Wherever life may lead, you can seek employment at any facility with an open position and transfer with no loss of benefits. 
  • With our integrated system, you’re free to explore new areas of career development and pursue opportunities anywhere within VA. 

Leadership training

  • You have 24/7 access to diverse online courses and training options to help advance your career. 
  • We offer ongoing internal training opportunities to employees at all employment levels, from mandatory developmental programs to competitive opportunities. 
  • Through our Leadership Development Framework (LDF), targeted learning and development resources support you in both your career and at home. 

Once you hit that point where you feel like you’ve got balance in your life, you are going to be better at what you do.

Curtis Raybuck
Supervisory Human Resources Specialist

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Veterans can find success with VA careers

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