[2] The center is a system of facilities throughout Northeastern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin that provide medical and dental services to U.S. military veterans, recruits, active duty and eligible beneficiaries.

[6] The Base Realignment and Closure committee's recommendations of 1995, Executive Order 13214 of 2001 (Presidential Task Force to Improve Healthcare Delivery for our Nation's Veterans), the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhancement Services (CARES) study of 2001, the Center for Naval Analysis recommendations of 2002, and Congressional support drove the integration of these two federal departments.

The initial phase was completed in December 2004 when the Department of the Navy moved their Blood Donor Center, and collection efforts from B200H (former Naval Hospital Great Lakes) to North Chicago VAMC.

Patrick Sullivan resided over the commissioning of the Blood Donor Processing Division as director of the North Chicago VA Medical Center.

[citation needed] Phase II of the partnership included a $13 million VA renovation and modernization project to expand the Emergency and Surgery Departments at the North Chicago VAMC.