The H.J. Heinz Campus is located in O'Hara Township, a few miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Classified as a Geriatric Center of Excellence, the 262-bed community living center has transitional care beds and offers outpatient services including audiology & speech pathology, dental, primary care, and pharmacy.

Our commitment to an all encompassing Geriatric Care Program includes recent renovations of the palliative and hospice care environment as well as the implementation, including renovations, of the Eden Alternative on the Dementia Specialty Care Unit. Our one-of-a-kind Palliative and Hospice Care Program provides a continuum of care to veteran patients who are making the transition into end-of-life. The Eden Alternative encourages putting the "home" in nursing home and eliminating the plagues of boredom, hopelessness, frustration and loneliness. It reinforces the importance of close contact with living things.

The H.J. Heinz Campus is now also home to a modern, 96-bed Veterans Recovery Center. In addition to a homeless domiciliary, programs located here include vocational services, health care for homeless veterans, and psychiatric residential rehabilitation treatment program.

A first of their kind in 2008, the residential living villas of the Veterans Recovery Center set a new standard in the architectural design and clinical operation of a traditional domiciliary, creating an environment of "veterans living in the community" and providing improved resources for homeless and vocational veterans.

Also opened in 2008, a new environmentally-friendly administration building houses numerous administrative departments including human resources, business service, contracting, fiscal and medical records.

HISTORY

Construction for the original buildings of this VA campus began in June 1924. The first patient was admitted to the hospital on October 12, 1925, and by the late 1940s, as many as 1,100 inpatients were crowded into the facility.

After serving as a general medical and surgery hospital and the first VA Allergy Clinic, all general medical and surgical services were transferred to the University Drive Division when it opened in 1954. The patient census at the Aspinwall campus declined and the hospital was scheduled for closure. In 1964, the Veterans Administration responded to the changing health care needs of the aging veteran population by beginning a nursing home initiative. This facility responded to a new challenge and began serving the long term care needs of the elderly veterans.

A new and modern replacement hospital was designed and two special purpose buildings were integrated into a complete long-term care center. Patients were moved to the new hospital on November 5, 1994. On March 22, 1999, a dedication ceremony was held to rename this campus the H. John Heinz III Progressive Care Center, after the late U.S. Senator John Heinz, who recognized the importance of caring for our nation's veterans. Without his efforts, the modern long term care facility would not exist today.