1. Caring for Women Veterans Lisa Roybal Women Veterans Program Manager VA Loma Linda Healthcare System Primary Author : Patricia M. Hayes, Ph.D Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group Office of Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration Department of Veterans Affairs

2. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Rethink Veterans 5/8/122

3. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Women Veteran Population Increasing, Total Vet Population Declining 5/8/123 Source: VetPOP, VA Office of Policy and PlanningVetPOP

4. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Women VA Users Doubled Since 2000 5/8/124 2000 2011 159,000 337,000 Sources: Women’s Health Evaluation Initiative (WHEI) and the Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group; Sourcebook: Women Veterans in the Veterans Health Administration V1: Sociodemographic Characteristics and Use of VHA Care, 2011. VHA’s Office of Finance Allocation Resource Center (ARC).

5. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Women Represent 14.5% of Active Duty military 18% of National Guard/Reserves 11.6% of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) Veterans 6% of VA health care users 5/8/125

6. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION The Changing Face of VA 5/8/126 – Young women – Frequent visits – Service-connected disabilities – Maternity care – Working women – Mental health needs

7. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION – Older women – Largest sub-population – Menopausal needs – Geriatric care – Inpatient/extended stays – Pain management 5/8/127 The Changing Face of VA

8. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Women Veterans and VA More women Veterans using VA care Those who use VA, use it intensively More women with service-connected disabilities using VA 5/8/128

9. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Women Veterans and VA Women have different health care needs than men Women are eligible for VA health care on par with that delivered to male Veterans Women are often engaged participants in their health care 5/8/129

10. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION It’s everyone’s job to care for women Veterans 5/8/1210

11. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Rethink VA 5/8/1211

12. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Mission Ensure all women Veterans receive equitable, high-quality, and comprehensive health care in a sensitive and safe environment at all VA facilities Be a national leader in the provision of health care for women Veterans, thereby raising the standard of care for all women 5/8/1212

13. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Improving the Experience for Women Implementing comprehensive primary care for women Veterans at all care sites Training VA providers interested and proficient in Women’s Health (more than 1,200 to date) Installing full-time Women Veterans Program Managers at all medical centers Revising and creating VA policy related to women Veterans Ramping-up communications to and about women Veterans Enhancing mental health, homeless services Researching effects of military service on women’s lives 5/8/1213

14. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Improving Reproductive Health Services New and upcoming policies – Maternity Care Coordination – Infertility Policy – Emergency Contraception Rights of Conscience (ROC) Maternity care – 2010 Caregiver law – Newborn care – Childcare pilots 5/8/1214

15. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Women’s Health Education Recruiting and retraining providers interested and proficient in women’s health National Women’s Health Mini-Residency Program (live and online) – More than 1,200 Primary Care providers educated in Basic and Advanced Women’s Health Care – Flagship education model for VA SimLEARN partnership: large mini-residency, ED-WH curriculum, task trainer dissemination Advanced fellowships in women Veterans’ health Monthly provider audio-conferences Co-sponsored 2 nd VA Women’s Health Research Conference 5/8/1215

16. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Women’s Health Education – Nurses and ED Providers Monthly audio-conferences for primary care nurses Some topics include: – Understanding women Veterans – Breast symptoms and mammograms – Contraception – Menopause and hot flashes – Interpersonal violence/assault/Military Sexual Trauma – Cardiovascular disease/chest pain Women's Health Nursing Mini-Residency Pilot – By invitation, August 2012 – Simulation training using pelvic and breast task trainers – Will shape future training initiatives (in-person and on-line) Online trainings covering core topics in emergency women’s health 5/8/1216

17. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Understanding Women Veterans National Survey of Women Veterans 2010 – 3,500+ participants through telephone interviews – Findings: access, quality perception, barriers – Next scientific survey of women Veterans: 2012 More to come – Women Vietnam Veterans Study – Operation Enduring Freedom/ Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) Cohort Study 175/8/12

18. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Culture Change Women Veterans Health Care is leading development of a VA-wide communication plan to enhance the language, practice and culture of VA to be more inclusive of women Veterans National Women Veterans Communications Workgroup: – Broad representation across VA – Tasked with developing strategies to reach women Veterans and VA employees 5/8/1218

19. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Culture Change through Communications 195/8/12

20. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

22. 22 your definition of Veteran Rethink 5/8/12

23. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION 235/8/12 Questions? www.womenshealth.va.gov