In celebration of National Women’s Health Week, May 12-18, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers (VAMCs) across the country will host events to support women Veterans and connect them with VA’s health care services.

“VA is serving nearly a half million women Veterans and we want to take care of even more,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “Events like these get them through the doors, so they meet VA health providers and learn firsthand about the comprehensive services and quality care VA provides to women who have served.”

Women are among the fastest growing Veteran demographics, accounting for more than 30% of the increase in Veterans who served between 2014 and 2018. The number of women using VA health services has tripled since 2000, growing from about 160,000 to nearly 500,000 today. VA offers a wide range of primary care and specialty services for women Veterans, such as health screenings, preconception counseling, maternity care, menopausal support and more.

VA Medical Centers with dedicated women’s health clinics will celebrate National Women’s Health Week by hosting either an open house or outreach events. Veterans attending these events can speak with health providers about the broad range of services offered at their medical centers and hear from experts on topics such as maternity care and child safe homes. Tours of the clinics and educational materials will be available.

VA is seeking broad public participation and encourages Veteran Service Organization members to participate. News media are welcome to cover these events. To learn about events at facilities in communities around the country, visit the local VAMC website or contact the public affairs officer directly.

VA encourages women Veterans not currently using VA health care services to enroll and use the benefits they have earned. Call the Women Veteran Call Center for information at 855-VA-Women (855-829-6636) for information or visit womenshealth.va.gov.

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2 Comments

  1. Denise Brown May 13, 2019 at 04:48

    I agree about everything you said. I too have been utilizing the VA Medical Centers since the late 80’s and have found it to be, for the most part, excellent service. I have had a few issues that continue to exist but dealing with that now. My main reason for this comment is to stress the importance of being able to contact any of the clinics/departments DIRECTLY, as opposed to all calls being directed to the Veteran’s Connect Line which is also the advice nurse. This is ridiculous when you try to return a call to a specific clinic’s number they leave on voice mail and ALL NUMBERS are routed to the same line, Vet’s Connect which can’t help you they try to contact the appropriate clinic which puts you on another hold then usually that person/clinic you are trying to reach isn’t available so you are forced to leave a message for them to call you back and if you aren’t available to answer phone when they do call back again, then the whole process starts all over again, to no avail! It’s a huge waste of time and quite frustrating with ZERO results! This definitely needs to change back to how it used to be with being able to contact a specific clinic/department directly! No idea why this changed to begin with!

  2. Wanda Essler May 6, 2019 at 12:29

    Have gone to the Temple TEXAS VA center since late 1980s or early 1990s.Starting with Mental health issues after my also Veteran husband died of cancer caused by the Atomic bomb explosions.
    Helped tremendously! Have used all Women’s Clinic
    services and Eye clinic with 7 Corneatransplants and orthopedics and Problems swallowing and hernia repair and lung infection treatment caused by the hernia operation and getting wheelchairs and walkers and therapist at my home.
    The treatment has been superb except several times being spoken to rudely that either my daughter or I reported it and was apologized to by the doctor or whomever it was .
    Just want to say the new way attempting to call any clinic especially speak with Women’s Clinic nurse or doctor has been almost entirely impossible and NEEDS TO BE CHANGED BACK TO GETTING BACK TO BE ABLE TO GET EASILY IN CONTACT WITH WOMEN’S CLINIC & OTHER CLINCS WITH OUT GOING ONLINE ESPECIALLY FOR 70+ YEARS OLD VETERANS &ESPECIALLY WHEN FEELING VERY ILL &WADED DOWN!

    B

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