Acknowledging that female veterans have gotten short shrift at VA hospitals, some are now working to improve the services and experience women receive, according to NPR’s Erin Toner.
For example, the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee now has a women’s clinic and one manager there says the hospital is working to change the culture.
Toner also reports that a bill pending in Congress would “authorize a study of women who’ve served in Iraq and Afghanistan to find out how the wars have affected their physical, mental and reproductive health.
“The bill also would require a review of the barriers women face in accessing VA health care.”
NPR also includes a map of how many female veterans are in each state.
Related
During a 2008 panel on veterans’ health presented by the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of AHCJ, Tia Christopher described her difficulties getting the help she needed as a Navy veteran who survived military sexual trauma and has PTSD. She expressed concern for female vets, whose experiences and health issues are significantly different from those of male soldiers and are largely underreported.
Listen to Christopher and the other panelists talk about the health care challenges facing vetereans.