Audie L. Murphy Veterans Hospital, San Antonio, Texas

With more than 80,000 beds in 172 hospitals, the United States Veterans Administration operates the largest, centrally directed health care system in the nation. Created in 1930 to coordinate all government activities concerning veterans, the VA provides health care to veterans who have service-related illnesses and injuries or those who are unable to obtain care through the usual channels. For a look at how the management of medical supplies at an individual VA hospital fits into the entire VA system, the Journal visited the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital. The largest hospital in San Antonio's South Texas Medical complex with nearly 700 beds, Audie Murphy Hospital provides a full range of inpatient, ambulatory and rehabilitation services to veterans. The hospital is the core of an extensive outpatient network that accounts for more than 180,000 outpatient visits per year.