Benefits Ensured for Women Vets

Photo Courtesy of Pennsylvania American Legion

The Department of Veterans Affairs is reaching out to the fastest-growing veteran population—women.

“The Women Veterans’ Health Program addresses the health-care needs of women vets, and works to ensure timely, equitable and comprehensive health-care services,” said Shenekia Williams-Johnson, who is the Women’s Veterans Program Manager, who added that these services will be provided in a sensitive and safe environment at VA health facilities nationwide.

In fiscal year 2011, for example, the VA’s Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network, which serves North Carolina and Virginia, and a portion of West Virginia, spent $2.7 million on privacy, security and dignity projects for women vets.

“We have added clinics, remodeled inpatient and outpatient areas of our medical centers, and hired health- care providers specifically to address needs of women veterans,” said Williams-Johnson, who added: We now have the capacity to provide primary, preventive and clinical care to many more women.”

Rural and homebound vets can also benefit from emerging technology that will deliver care remotely through new telehealth efforts, and home-based care services. Similarly, women vets with mental illnesses can benefit through integration of mental-health services within their primary care, so that it is provided in a coordinated way.

Aging women vets can benefit from the latest advances in medical science and technology to identify and address cardiovascular disease as well as advances in treatments for diabetes, osteoporosis and menopause.

Information can also be found at the Women Health Care link on the VA Web site.

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