Soldiers were given some patient privileges at the first UW-affiliated hospital in Wisconsin. Established by the state Legislature and constructed in 1924, Wisconsin General Hospital gave admission preferences to honorably discharged veterans of any wars in which the United States was involved if they were eligible for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs and state residents for at least five years. The superintendent of UW hospitals could also authorize reductions in the cost of care, based on the veteran’s financial need and hospitalization insurance coverage.

The University of Wisconsin Clinical Sciences Center was opened in 1979 to replace the original hospital and provide facilities for the clinical medical departments, the UW Children’s Hospital, the schools of Nursing and Pharmacy, and the UW Comprehensive Cancer Center. Renamed the Medical Sciences Center, the former hospital was converted into space for the basic science departments, the Dean’s Office, and medical classrooms and laboratories.