I have driven by the West Roxbury campus of the VA Healthcare System many times, reading the scrolling sign, “…Spinal Cord Injury…hiring nurses…”, while on the way home from Dedham, or Home Depot or Millennium Park. I’ve even photographed there.

Just going about my daily life, to and fro, it sometimes becomes part of the scenery. But sometimes I look up at a window and wonder what is going on inside. America is still fighting two wars, which may seem far away, but Iraq and Afghanistan, and for that matter, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, are present and a reality for many in our community.

One of three main facilities in the VA Boston Healthcare System, it is renown for its Spinal Cord Injury program. However, it provides a large array of services, from an ER and cardiac surgery to aquatic therapy, prescription-dispensing robots and regular office visits. This summer the Fisher House, a home where family members of hospitalized veterans can stay for free, will open its doors.

As part of our “Day in the Life” project on Monday, January 25th - done in partnership with WCVB TV Channel 5 - I decided to spend a day inside the hospital.