The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System is expanding the emergency room and renovating spaces for physical therapy, neurology and vascular care at its Oakland hospital.
Upgrades to the emergency department at the University Drive medical center will allow for faster triage, shorter wait times and more patient beds, the Pittsburgh VA said in a press release.
Lori Lydic, head of the American Federation of Government Employees union local representing Pittsburgh VA workers, said areas for primary care services are being eliminated to make space for the larger emergency room.
The system has been shifting primary care to its clinic in Monroeville since it opened in 2023, according to Lydic.
The recently announced changes come as part of a $4.8 billion spending plan through September on VA health care facilities, including $2.8 billion to address “outdated infrastructure systems” and $1 billion for modernizing electronic health record systems.
“Delivering exceptional care to veterans is at the heart of what we do, and these projects will help us continue to make meaningful progress,” Pittsburgh VA interim executive director Russell Lloyd said in a statement.
Lloyd was elevated to interim executive director in January, making him one of at least three people to lead the Pittsburgh VA since the start of the Trump administration.
The Pittsburgh VA is also installing backup generators across its H.J. Heinz III campus in O’Hara. The entire Pittsburgh-area network will get new communication equipment and security enhancements, like stronger gates.
A spokesperson for the system did not immediately return a request for comment.
The Pittsburgh VA has more than 4,500 employees and serves more than 90,000 veterans each year. It covers a 13-county area across Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio.
The VA’s Butler, Altoona and Erie systems will also see investments.