Facility News

What's In A Name?

To name a VA facility after an individual, it requires an act of Congress and the signing of a public law.

VISN 4 now has two VA medical centers, one healthcare system campus, and two VA clinics named after noteworthy individuals.

Corporal Michael J. Crescenz

VISN 4's Philadelphia VAMC became the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center on December 16, 2014.

Corporal Michael J. Crescenz was only 19 years old on November 20, 1968. His Army unit was ambushed in the jungles of Quang Nam Province in Vietnam. Corporal Crescenz heroically abandoned his own safety in order to protect members of his unit, and was killed in action as a result.

Corporal Crescenz was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Richard Nixon in April 1970. He was the only Philadelphian to receive the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War. Corporal Crescenz is now interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

Rear Admiral James E. Van Zandt

Altoona VAMC became the James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center on November 30, 1983.

James E. Van Zandt, who retired from the U.S. Navy as a Rear Admiral, was an instrumental force in the establishment of the VA hospital in Altoona.

A republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, he tackled and disarmed one of the shooters during a 1954 attack on the House by Puerto Rican nationalists.

He also served as a National Commander for the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Rear Admiral Van Zandt is also buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

VA Healthcare System Campus and Clinics

The Heinz campus of VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System was named after late U.S. Senator H. John Heinz III in 1999. Without his efforts, the modern long-term care and rehabilitation facility, which opened in November 1994, would not exist today.

The Victor J. Saracini VA clinic in Horsham, Pennsylvania, was named after a Navy Veteran and captain of United Airlines Flight 175, which crashed into the World Trade Center's south tower on September 11, 2001. The Horsham clinic was named after him in 2003.

The Michael A. Marzano VA clinic in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, was named after Marine Sergeant Marzano in 2008. The 28-year-old from Greenville, Pennsylvania, died in Hadithah, Iraq, on May 7, 2005, while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

MyVA Will Realign Clarksburg VAMC to VISN 5

Early this year, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald revealed a plan to realign the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) many organizational maps into one map with five districts. As part of the MyVA Realignment, the Veterans Heath Administration (VHA) will also realign existing Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN) to fit with the five Department-level districts.

The existing VISN structure will be modified to reduce the number of VISNs from 21 to 18 and to bring the VISNs in line with MyVA districts. In developing recommendations for VISN re-configuration, the VHA VISN Realignment Workgroup explored several options and models. Multiple factors were weighed in the process, including alignment with state boundaries and the population of Veterans served. Realignment within state boundaries allows for better collaboration and interaction with various political representatives, state officials, agencies, and Veterans Service Organizations.

West Virginia previously had 4 VA health care systems split between 4 VISNs. VISN 5 is expanding to include all 4 West Virginia VA health care facilities, including realigning Clarksburg VAMC from VISN 4, Beckley VAMC from VISN 6, and Huntington VAMC from VISN 9.

These realignments will ensure that VHA is working towards consistency with MyVA efforts, will create efficiencies within VHA, and enhance Veterans’ experiences as they receive services within VA. There will be no impact on patients' ability to access health care services through VA facilities. Clarksburg Veterans who were referred to VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System for specialty care will continue to be referred there.