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VA awards grants to improve health care access for women veterans
Posted 1/28/2013 Updated 1/28/2013
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1/28/2013 - WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs recently awarded 33 grants to VA facilities for projects that will improve emergency health care services for women veterans, expand women's health education programs for VA staff, and offer telehealth programs to female veterans in rural areas.
"Our goal is 100 percent accessibility for women veterans who need our care," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "These new projects will improve access and quality of critical health care services for women."
This is the largest number of one-year grants VA has ever awarded for enhancing women's health services. VHA's national Women's Health Program Office, Office of Rural Health, and Office of Healthcare Transformation are jointly supporting the winning proposals.
Telehealth concepts that received grants involve tele-mental health, tele-gynecology, tele-pharmacy, and telephone maternity care coordination. The grant program is part of VA's continuing effort to improve access and quality of care for the increasing number of women veterans seeking care at VA.
"We are committed to providing individualized, sensitive care to women Veterans," said VA Undersecretary for Health Robert A. Petzel. "These grant-funded projects enable VA to continue to enhance care for women veterans and exceed patient expectations."
Education grants will expand mini-residency training for VA providers and nurses in primary care and emergency services to include topics such as gynecology and early obstetrics emergencies, military sexual trauma, and performing breast and pelvic examinations. Grants will also be used to upgrade emergency services for women veterans in several VA health care facilities through the purchase of new gender-specific equipment and supplies and the development of protocols to aid in the management of common conditions in women.
Women serve in every branch of the military, representing 15 percent of today's active-duty military and nearly 18 percent of National Guard and Reserve forces. By 2020, VA estimates women veterans will constitute 10 percent of the veteran population.
Visit www.va.gov/womenvet and www.womenshealth.va.gov to learn more about VA programs and services for women Veterans. (Courtesy of VA News)
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