The VA New York Harbor Healthcare System is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the greater New York/New Jersey region. With three medical centers which serve as teaching hospitals in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and St. Albans in Queens, as well as other community and mobile clinics providing health care services to Veterans in New York City, the VA is a leader in health care, clinical education, and research.

As a neighbor to its Manhattan campus and long-standing clinical affiliate, the School of Nursing has partnered with the VA on a variety of initiatives that support the shared educational missions of both institutions. The VA supports nursing students in both their learning and career pursuits with undergraduate and post-baccalaureate nurse residency programs, providing pathways for students to begin rewarding careers caring for US Veterans.

Hunter nursing students are top candidates in these competitive programs. In 2022, the VA accepted only Hunter students for Veterans Affairs Learning Opportunities Residency (VALOR), an honors program and paid clinical residency for nursing students who have completed their junior year of a baccalaureate nursing program. VALOR provides structured clinical experiences with BSN-prepared preceptors and educational coursework in a classroom setting. Upon completion of the program, students have the opportunity to be hired at the VA when they graduate and receive their RN license.

Our faculty also consult with the VA on implementing evidence-based practice initiatives to improve patient outcomes. Assistant Professor Dr. Aliza Ben-Zacharia advises a committee of VA NY administrators and clinicians who are reviewing the top health care priorities of the VA system to improve patient health outcomes at its hospitals. The committee is currently implementing a quality-improvement project to reduce the rate of hospital-acquired pneumonia—a leading cause of infection in hospitals—among non-ventilator patients across its hospital units.

Hunter nursing students accepted in the VALOR program. In 2022, the VA only accepted Hunter students for this competitive paid residency.