West Haven VA Medical Center

VA Connecticut Healthcare System was officially formed in 1995 with the integration of the VA medical centers in West Haven and Newington. We serve veterans in Connecticut and southern New England. We West Haven facility is a tertiary care facility classified as a Clinical Referral Level I Facility. It is a teaching hospital, providing a full range of patient care services with state-of-the-art technology and a renowned research program. VA Connecticut is part of the VA New England Healthcare System (VISN 1), which includes facilities in Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

In addition to our main campuses, VA Connecticut operates six community-based primary care centers in Danbury, New London, Stamford, Waterbury, Winstead, and Willimantic.

The Neurology Service at VACT provides outpatient and inpatient clinical services, is main educational site for Neurology trainees, and has a robust research program. The department has numerous sub-specialty clinics and is considered a tertiary referral center in the Northeast. Residents and fellows rotate through these clinics and centers, learning from national and international experts in clinical care, education, and research.

Outpatient services are delivered across General and subspecialty Neurology clinics, including those in Epilepsy, Movement Disorders, Sleep, Neuromuscular, and Neurobehavioral, as well as Interdisciplinary Clinics in Stroke, Headache, and Pain. Testing and treatments provided by the department include EMG/NCS, EEG, botulinum toxin therapy, occipital nerve blocks, sphenopalatine ganglion blocks, and neuropathic pain treatments.

Our epilepsy program has also received the VA designation of an Epilepsy Center of Excellence (ECoE) as a result of our world-class clinical services and large research program. Outpatient programs include several epilepsy clinics, cognitive behavioral therapy, and clinics dedicated to multimodal treatment of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. Inpatient clinical services include admission in our Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) and continuous EEG monitoring for patients admitted to the intensive care units and inpatient wards.

VACT is one of seven VA-designated Headache Centers of Excellence (HCoE) programs. Outpatient programs include several headache clinics, including those dedicated to offering such newly FDA-approved treatments as calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors and neuromodulatory devices, as well as injection and biofeedback clinics. The HCoE is heavily involved in the VA Whole Health Initiative, which focuses on utilizing complementary and integrative health and encouraging patient self-management.

VACT is recognized as an ALS Association (ALSA) Certified Treatment Centers of Excellence. The interdisciplinary clinic consists of Neurology, PT, OT, Respiratory, Nutrition, social work, care coordination, Speech and Palliative Care/Hospice services. The clinic is recognized for its outstanding comprehensive clinical care, outreach to veterans with ALS, early adoption of telehealth, and clinical research.

The VACT is designated as the Multiple Sclerosis Regional Center for VISN 1. As a Regional Program, we provide MS care with a continuum of acute, chronic, and long-term care services consistent with VHA policies by offering a full spectrum of therapies and related specialty care. The MS Regional Center offers an outpatient program of scheduled hour and treatment, including unscheduled visits for Veterans with acute conditions related to MS. Services provided to a particular individual are part of a continuum of care and integrate inpatient and home care when needed.

Neurology residents rotate at VACT for outpatient and inpatient services. Continuity clinics at the VA constitute a significant portion of the outpatient experience for the Neurology house staff. In addition, residents have an opportunity to rotate through various specialty clinics.

The VA offers a multitude of advanced fellowship opportunities through its Office of Academic Affiliations. Select the dropdown menu on this page to explore advanced fellowship opportunities such as those in Neuroscience Research, Medical Informatics, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Geriatric Neurology, and select your preferred location.

VACT is a leader in research throughout the Veterans Health Administration and beyond, conducting research and clinical trials funded by the National Institutes of Health and VA Office of Research and Development. The VA Neurosciences Research Center, which is an integral part of the Department of Neurology and houses a major research program focusing on cellular and molecular mechanisms in neurological disease and neural regeneration. Apart from basic science and translational research, VACT is also home to the Clinical Epidemiology Research Center (CERC) and the Health Services Research and Development in Pain Research, Informatics, Multi-morbidities, and Education (PRIME) Center of Innovation (COIN), where several of our neurologists are Core and Associate Research Investigators. In conjunction with the HCoE Clinical Program, VACT also houses the HCoE Research and Evaluation Center (REC). The REC focuses on understanding the prevalence, comorbidity profiles, healthcare utilization, and geographic distribution of veterans with headache while understanding the impact and implementation of the national HCoE program.

For more information about the VACT Neurology Department, please call (203) 932-5711 ext. 4724, or visit our website.