VA expanding the services it offers to women

By Elisa Basnight and Patricia Hayes

Last month, the nation celebrated the graduation of the first female service members from the U.S. Army Ranger School, a moment that exemplifies the courage and conviction of women wanting to serve our nation with a purpose.

This month, on Sept. 22, the nation saw its first all-women honor flight, with 140 veterans, half from World War II and half from the post-9/11 era, visiting the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington, Va.

The commitment of these women is a reminder of our nation's duty to care for those who protect and defend America with a similar level of passion.

At Veterans Affairs, we are committed to providing the benefits and care our women veterans deserve. This means improving our services to them and doing all we can to make sure veterans' history includes her story.

This month, Veterans Affairs' Center for Women Veterans and the VA Women's Health Group are launching a new initiative, "I'm One." The campaign focuses on developing identity and respect for women veterans who often say they feel invisible and not acknowledged or respected for their service. "I'm One" is also meant to encourage more women to self-identify with their veteran status and to access the programs and services they have earned.

Women have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since the Revolutionary War, but their numbers paled compared with their male counterparts. Today, there are more than two million women veterans across the United States. They represent more than 9 percent of all living veterans and are one of the fastest-growing segments of the veteran population. They are expected to be almost 18 percent of the total veteran population by 2040 and already comprise 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

Over the past several years, VA has gained a reputation for its delivery of high-quality care for women veterans, often exceeding the private sector in health promotion and disease prevention. And it has ramped up the expansion of care in its 150 hospitals and 850 outpatient clinics as the number of women veterans using VA services has doubled in the last decade.

In the past five years, VA has added more than 2,500 "designated women's health providers," who offer knowledgeable primary care for women veterans. These providers address all aspects of health care in a "one-stop shop," reducing unnecessary visits and making health care truly comprehensive. This system has proven effective and results in high veteran satisfaction with care, according to our surveys and, most recently, the National Survey of Women Veterans.

VA has also developed an extensive education program for providers and nurses who care for women veterans. Through a three-day women's health mini-residency, as well as an extensive menu of online courses and monthly audio-conferences, VA has updated the skills of more than 2,200 primary-care providers and emergency department providers and nurses.

An extensive curriculum was also developed to assist mental-health, primary-care, and gynecology providers in the treatment of mental-health conditions that arise during women's reproductive life stages.

Additionally, the VA Computerized Medical Record System now alerts providers who prescribe medications that could be harmful to women who may be pregnant or lactating. An online toolkit was developed to enhance emergency care, and maternity-care coordinators are now available throughout the health-care system to assist women veterans.

Most recently, a national Breast Care Registry, which will enhance tracking of mammography and breast cancer care throughout VA, was created.

As the demand and budgets increase, we are hoping to expand our capacity to treat our women veterans. From 2009 to 2015, for instance, there was a 123 percent increase in VA costs in women's gender-specific care. This was primarily driven by women's increasing use of Veterans Health Administration services. And there has been additional special budgeting for specific investments in equipment, staff, and infrastructure to support care for women.

We know we still have work to do. While VA is providing more services for our women veterans, there are some areas, such as maternity and breast cancer care, where care is still provided by VA off site. We hope to change that with time.

What won't change is our commitment to the women who served and sacrificed for their nation.

Elisa Basnight is the director of the Center for Women Veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs. She is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and a former Army intelligence officer. Elisa.Basnight@va.gov

Patricia Hayes is the chief consultant for women's health services in the Office of Patient Care Services for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Patricia.Hayes@va.gov