VA profiles Salem, Virginia medical center in rural recruitment push

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has published a profile of the Salem VA Medical Center in Salem, Virginia, as part of an effort to recruit staff to serve rural veterans. The department said almost a quarter of all veterans in the United States live in rural communities.

According to the VA, the Salem facility traces its origins to 1933, when President Herbert Hoover approved its location, partly because of the Roanoke area's rail, bus, highway and utility access. The department said President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the hospital on Oct. 19, 1934, before roughly 40,000 people in a nationally broadcast address. The VA said that remains the only time a sitting president has officially opened a VA hospital.

The department said the medical center today provides primary care, specialty medicine, mental health, surgery, rehabilitation and dentistry. It also serves as a teaching hospital in partnership with several colleges and universities.

The VA listed current openings at the facility, including police officer, nephrologist and IT specialist positions. The department said all openings are posted on USAJOBS. It also cited Salem's lower cost of living, local museum, minor league baseball and outdoor recreation as reasons to consider working there.

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/388