Inside the VA Call Centers: How MSUSA Supports 3 Million Veteran Calls a Year

Serving Those Who Served, At Scale

Every year, millions of veterans pick up the phone seeking help – to schedule appointments, ask about benefits, or simply find a listening ear. On the other end of those lines is Magellan Solutions USA (MSUSA), a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business led by veterans itself. MSUSA’s call center teams handle an astonishing volume – around 9,000 to 10,000 calls every single day. That adds up to roughly 3 million veteran calls a year, each one answered by a live, trained agent. Despite the massive scale, the mission is personal: ensure every veteran’s call is answered with care and efficiency.

MSUSA has grown into a trusted partner for the Department of Veterans Affairs by combining high-volume capacity with a human touch. The company operates coast-to-coast, supporting VA contact centers literally from California to New York. In fact, MSUSA currently provides on-site call center services for six major VA Medical Centers – including Houston (TX), Palo Alto (CA), Fresno (CA), San Francisco (CA), the Bronx (NY), and Salem (VA). Many of these centers operate around the clock, and MSUSA’s “Team Zero” is the dedicated 24/7 switchboard group ensuring that veterans can reach help at any hour, day or night. It’s a staggering responsibility, but one that MSUSA embraces as a sacred duty to those who served.

Coast-to-Coast Coverage for Veterans

What does supporting 3 million calls a year actually look like? It means teams of agents working in unison across multiple time zones, answering everything from routine inquiries to urgent requests. MSUSA’s VA call center operation spans some of the busiest VA healthcare networks in the country. For example, in California’s Sierra Pacific Network, MSUSA staffs the phone lines for three large VA health systems (Palo Alto, San Francisco, and Central California). Team Zero handles around 82,000 veteran calls per month for those California facilities alone– ensuring every clinic, hospital department, or provider can be reached by callers. Down in Texas, MSUSA runs the contact center at Houston’s Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, fielding about 75,000 calls each month at that one facility. And at the Salem VA Medical Center in Virginia, a smaller team still manages roughly 32,000 calls a month for veterans in the region.

These numbers underscore the enormous scale of MSUSA’s operations. Yet behind each statistic is a veteran who’s getting the help they need. No call goes unanswered – whether it’s noon on a weekday or 2 AM on a holiday, MSUSA’s agents are on duty. This around-the-clock commitment means a veteran dialing their VA hospital in the middle of the night will still hear a friendly, live voice ready to assist. By providing seamless coverage nationwide, MSUSA ensures that veterans’ needs are met promptly, bridging time zones and distances so that help is always just a phone call away.

Training, Tools, and a “Zero Miss” Mindset

Handling high call volumes is only part of the challenge – handling them well is equally important. MSUSA equips its call center agents with rigorous training and modern tools to maintain quality on every call. All agents learn the ins and outs of VA systems and protocols, so they can quickly connect callers to the right department or information. They also undergo specialized training for emergencies: at VA medical centers, a call isn’t always about an appointment – it could be a code blue medical emergency or a distressed veteran in crisis. MSUSA agents are responsible not just for routine calls, but even for life-and-death situations like hospital code calls and suicide risks. The team has standard operating procedures and scripting in place for these critical scenarios. This means every agent knows exactly what to do if, for instance, a caller threatens self-harm or if there’s an emergency that needs an ambulance dispatched. “Calls can even be life-threatening situations that require the agents to use special procedures and scripting (e.g., bomb threats, someone threatening harm to themselves or others),” an MSUSA document explains, and each call must be handled in a calm, courteous, and professional manner following protocol.

To support the agents, MSUSA’s call centers leverage advanced technology. An intelligent phone system routes incoming calls efficiently to available agents with the right skill set. The platform provides interactive voice response (IVR) menus and call distribution so that even during peak times, veterans are not stuck on hold unnecessarily. Every call is also recorded and monitored for quality, allowing supervisors to coach agents and maintain high standards. MSUSA utilizes a robust quality assurance platform that analyzes calls and helps continually improve service. On top of that, regular training refreshers are delivered through an online learning system to keep agents sharp on the latest procedures. This combination of training, clear procedures, and technology creates what MSUSA likes to call a “zero miss” mindset – an internal culture that strives for zero missed calls and zero errors in service. In practice, this means veterans get their questions answered accurately and efficiently, no matter how complex or critical the call.

To keep performance consistent across all sites, MSUSA fosters cross-center collaboration. Managers from each VA call center location convene frequently to share best practices and address common challenges, ensuring that a lesson learned in one facility can benefit all. The result is a tightly knit operation where high volume never comes at the expense of high quality. MSUSA’s approximately 100 call center agents take pride in balancing speed with service on every interaction. As a veteran-owned company, MSUSA also instills a sense of mission in its staff – answering a veteran’s call is not just customer service, it’s continuing the commitment to “serve those who served.”

Empathy in Action: One Life-Saving Call

Beyond the metrics and systems, what truly defines MSUSA’s VA call centers is empathy. These agents understand that each caller is a person who may be elderly, ill, frustrated, or in crisis – and they treat them with the patience and respect they deserve. Many MSUSA team members have military backgrounds or family in the service, creating a natural rapport with veteran callers. Even with scripts and protocols to follow, agents are encouraged to listen actively and respond with compassion. Often, a few kind words and a steady demeanor can calm an anxious caller or diffuse an upset one. MSUSA’s training emphasizes this “veteran-to-veteran” approach, reminding agents that behind every call is someone who served our country and may be facing a difficult moment.

This compassionate approach has tangible outcomes – in some cases, literally saving lives. One recent call to an MSUSA-operated VA center began like any other, but quickly turned critical. The veteran on the line told the agent that he was planning to take his own life. In that heart-stopping moment, the MSUSA agent sprang into action. Though not a clinical counselor, the agent had been trained on exactly what to do: they stayed calm and kept the veteran talking, all while discreetly signaling a supervisor to alert emergency services. Following the protocol in place, the agent was able to get the right help on the line immediately, conferencing in a VA crisis responder who could provide professional intervention. The agent’s quick thinking and steady empathy kept the veteran engaged until rescuers arrived. That night, a life was saved.

A few weeks later, something extraordinary happened: the same veteran walked into the VA call center in person, carrying a cake for the staff. He insisted on thanking the agent who answered his call, telling the team, “I’m alive because of you.” It was an emotional reunion and a profound reminder of what MSUSA’s work is truly about. This is just one story, but it highlights the stakes that VA call center agents face and the impact they can have. In fact, MSUSA’s team has earned formal commendations from the VA for how they’ve handled suicide-risk calls and prevented self-harm among veterans. Those commendations reflect an unwavering commitment to treat every distress call with urgency, skill, and compassion.

Not every call is as dramatic, but every call does matter. MSUSA agents routinely help veterans who might be confused about a bill, angry about a delay in care, or simply lonely and looking for someone to talk to. No matter the situation, the guiding principle is the same: listen, understand, and help. One MSUSA supervisor put it this way: “When a veteran calls us, they’re often reaching out as a last resort – it’s our job to do everything we can to assist, or at least connect them with someone who can.” This ethos of going the extra mile is what makes MSUSA’s service stand out. It transforms a high-volume call center from a mere phone bank into a lifeline for veterans.

A Mission of Care, One Call at a Time

Inside MSUSA’s VA call centers, the hustle of ringing phones and the glow of computer screens are all directed toward a single purpose: honoring and helping veterans. The team doesn’t see 3 million calls as a statistic to boast about – they see it as 3 million opportunities to make a difference. By blending efficient processes with genuine heart, MSUSA ensures that veterans get both the answers they seek and the respect they deserve on every call. It’s no surprise that MSUSA, being founded and led by military veterans, takes the VA’s own motto to heart. “We are dedicated to upholding the VA’s mission of ‘serving those who served,’” the company affirms and that commitment shines through in daily operations.

From crisis interventions to everyday customer service, MSUSA’s agents approach their work with a sense of duty. They know a veteran’s welfare could hinge on what happens during that phone call. This mindset transforms routine call center tasks into something deeper: a continuation of service to country. Government officials who oversee veteran programs, as well as veterans themselves, have come to trust that when MSUSA is on the line, they will be heard and helped. The successful handling of millions of veteran calls – including emergencies – each year is a testament to that trust.

In the end, MSUSA’s VA call centers are far more than a switchboard – they are a support system and safety net for veterans nationwide. Every “thank you” from a caller, every problem solved, and every life saved reinforces why MSUSA does what it does. By maintaining both scale and soul, the team truly lives up to the ideal of “Veterans helping Veterans.” Inside these call centers, a simple greeting of “How can I help you today?” can lead to comfort, solutions, or even saved lives. And that makes all the difference, one call at a time.