diff --git a/litellm/llms/vertex_ai_and_google_ai_studio/vertex_model_garden/main.py b/litellm/llms/vertex_ai_and_google_ai_studio/vertex_model_garden/main.py
index 59cbddcea..4285c4dcb 100644
--- a/litellm/llms/vertex_ai_and_google_ai_studio/vertex_model_garden/main.py
+++ b/litellm/llms/vertex_ai_and_google_ai_studio/vertex_model_garden/main.py
@@ -1,5 +1,21 @@
-# What is this?
-## API Handler for calling Vertex AI Partner Models
+"""
+API Handler for calling Vertex AI Model Garden Models
+
+Most Vertex Model Garden Models are OpenAI compatible - so this handler calls `openai_like_chat_completions`
+
+Usage:
+
+response = litellm.completion(
+    model="vertex_ai/openai/5464397967697903616",
+    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello, how are you?"}],
+)
+
+Sent to this route when `model` is in the format `vertex_ai/openai/{MODEL_ID}`
+
+
+Vertex Documentation for using the OpenAI /chat/completions endpoint: https://github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/vertex-ai-samples/blob/main/notebooks/community/model_garden/model_garden_pytorch_llama3_deployment.ipynb
+"""
+
 import types
 from enum import Enum
 from typing import Callable, Literal, Optional, Union
@@ -20,7 +36,7 @@ def create_vertex_url(
     model: str,
     api_base: Optional[str] = None,
 ) -> str:
-    """Return the base url for the vertex partner models"""
+    """Return the base url for the vertex garden models"""
     #  f"https://{self.endpoint.location}-aiplatform.googleapis.com/v1beta1/projects/{PROJECT_ID}/locations/{self.endpoint.location}"
     return f"https://{vertex_location}-aiplatform.googleapis.com/v1beta1/projects/{vertex_project}/locations/{vertex_location}/endpoints/{model}"
 
@@ -50,6 +66,11 @@ class VertexAIModelGardenModels(VertexBase):
         acompletion: bool = False,
         client=None,
     ):
+        """
+        Handles calling Vertex AI Model Garden Models in OpenAI compatible format
+
+        Sent to this route when `model` is in the format `vertex_ai/openai/{MODEL_ID}`
+        """
         try:
             import vertexai
             from google.cloud import aiplatform
@@ -76,6 +97,7 @@ class VertexAIModelGardenModels(VertexBase):
                 message="""Upgrade vertex ai. Run `pip install "google-cloud-aiplatform>=1.38"`""",
             )
         try:
+            model = model.replace("openai/", "")
             vertex_httpx_logic = VertexLLM()
 
             access_token, project_id = vertex_httpx_logic._ensure_access_token(
@@ -110,7 +132,7 @@ class VertexAIModelGardenModels(VertexBase):
                 auth_header=None,
                 url=default_api_base,
             )
-
+            model = ""
             return openai_like_chat_completions.completion(
                 model=model,
                 messages=messages,
diff --git a/litellm/main.py b/litellm/main.py
index d3bc3f2c5..3b4a99413 100644
--- a/litellm/main.py
+++ b/litellm/main.py
@@ -2359,7 +2359,8 @@ def completion(  # type: ignore # noqa: PLR0915
                     api_base=api_base,
                     extra_headers=extra_headers,
                 )
-            elif model.isdigit():
+            elif "openai" in model:
+                # Vertex Model Garden - OpenAI compatible models
                 model_response = vertex_model_garden_chat_completion.completion(
                     model=model,
                     messages=messages,