In 2007, the Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards raised the visibility of its women veterans health program by making it a strategic health care group within the Office.  In 1988, when the program was created to provide cost-effective medical and psychosocial services for women, 4.4 percent of veterans were women.  By 2010, women veterans will make up more than 14 percent of the total veteran population.

The mission of today's Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group is to ensure that all eligible women who serve in the military have access to timely, compassionate, and high quality health services.  The group works closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs' Center for Women Veterans and achieves this mission by: 

• Promoting a comprehensive system of high quality, cost-effective medical and psychosocial services through a multiple-level continuum of care           
• Promoting sound management of these levels of care to meet and exceed patients' expectations           
• Continuously refining and improving our programs and services to produce superior end results and to contribute to the general body of knowledge in the medical and psychosocial fields           
• Promoting a work environment conducive to the personal and professional growth of our health care professionals           
• Providing opportunities through continuing professional education for staff development           
• Above all, recognizing the ultimate reward - enabling our eligible women veteran population to achieve their optimal level of health, community, and financial resources available.