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Comprehensive Women’s Health Centers
Public-Law 102-585, 1992, Veterans Health Care Act, was landmark legislation for women veterans healthcare with the following provisions:
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These Centers, structured under a primary care model, served as prototypical health care centers for women veterans. They developed new and enhanced programs focusing on the unique health care needs of women veterans. In addition, they often did research on medical and psychosocial gender-specific issues of women veterans.
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Although they are no longer exclusively funded, these centers remain prototypes of healthcare delivery to women and provide a legacy of best practices to the field.
Clinical Programs of Excellence
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From 1999-2003, the Women Veterans Health Program participated in the VA solicitation and recognition of Clinical Programs of Excellence in many specialties within the VA system. Programs of Excellence serve as models for the veterans health care system, and as information and referral sources to help others in the system achieve excellence in their care and where applicable, teaching and research. (Under Secretary for Health Information Letter: Designating Clinical Programs of Excellence
IL-10-2001-008)
During this period, the WVHP awarded the designation of Clinical Program of Excellence to six sites. This designation was made for a period of two years. In 1999: Clinical Programs of Excellence in Women’s Health were awarded for the first time at Alexandria, Pittsburgh, and Durham.
In 2002 six Clinical Programs of Excellence in Women’s Health were awarded: Alexandria, Bay Pines, Boston, Durham, Pittsburgh, South Texas Veterans Healthcare System.
These were special, high-performing clinical programs that excelled when compared with the best in American health care, while meeting the highest standards of clinical care, patient satisfaction, and resource utilization. The designation expired in 2004.
Centers of Excellence
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Currently, the Women Veterans Healthcare Strategic Healthcare Group has established a Center of Excellence program award. The Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Women Veterans has long supported the pursuit of centers of excellence of women’s health and has included it as an official recommendation in the 2006 report.
The designation of a Center of Excellence in Women’s Health recognizes those clinical programs that provide exceptional quality while meeting the highest standards of clinical care, patient satisfaction, education and training, and research. Achieving this designation is valuable in employee recruitment, marketing endeavors and grants applications.
Consideration for the award designation is based on the following criteria:
Clinical Care Outcomes
Leadership & Staff Development
Education and Research
Customer Service and Community Collaboration
Support of the WVHP Business Plan
Solicitation is ongoing with no limit to designees. Award designation is for a period of three years. These Centers of Excellence will serve as models for women veterans’ health care, and as information and referral sources to help others in the VA system achieve excellence in clinical outcomes, clinical care and staff training.
Center of Excellence Description and Application
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