Staff Reports | Community Updates
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced an expansion of medical transportation services in the Phoenix area with the launch of VA-operated non-emergency ambulance services.
The new program will supplement the Phoenix VA Health Care System’s existing transportation services and work alongside contracted community providers to improve access to medical transportation for Veterans, according to a press release.
“Launching Phoenix VA ambulance services is a significant improvement,” Elijah Ditter, medical center director of the Phoenix VA Health Care System, said. “This new service will help us deliver faster, safer, and more reliable non-emergency transportation for Veterans across the Phoenix metropolitan area.”
Three VA ambulances will be based in Phoenix and staffed by VA paramedics and emergency medical technicians.
In addition to transporting Veterans, the ambulances may support the VA’s Fourth Mission, which allows the agency to assist communities during large-scale emergencies and disasters.
The non-emergency ambulance service is expected to begin operating in August 2026.
The announcement is part of a broader effort by the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand services and access to care. The agency reported enrolling more than 150,000 new Veterans in VA health care in 2026 and opening 38 new health care facilities since Jan. 20, 2025. The VA also reported completing more than 82 million direct-care appointments during fiscal year 2025 and providing more than 2.8 million appointments outside normal operating hours, according to a press release.
The department also reported reducing its benefits claims backlog by 72% since Jan. 20, 2025, and permanently housing 51,936 homeless Veterans during fiscal year 2025, the highest annual total in seven years, according to a press release.
