VA Pledge to Women Veterans on Women's Equality Day

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VA Pledge to Women Veterans on Women's Equality Day



WASHINGTON (Aug. 26, 2009) - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.
Shinseki pledged today on Women's Equality Day that the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) will work to ensure the nation upholds its
obligation to meet the needs of our Veterans - including women Veterans.



"Our Veterans deserve the very best care. Anything less is
unacceptable," Secretary Shinseki said. "If we are to transform VA into
a 21st century organization, we need to continually improve our services
to women Veterans."



Although VA has long provided equal benefits to women Veterans, the
Department has embarked on new initiatives to meet their unique needs.
These initiatives include:



* Comprehensive primary care and specialized medical
care at every VA medical center;



* Enhanced mental health care specifically for women
Veterans;



* Staffing every VA medical center with a women
Veterans program manager;



* Creating a mini-residency on women's health for
primary care physicians;



* Supporting a multifaceted research program on
women's health;



* Improving communication and outreach to women
Veterans; and



* Continuing the operation of organizations such as
VA's Center for Women Veterans and the Women Veterans Health Strategic
Healthcare Group.



"During this observance we should remember the special contributions and
sacrifices of the 200,000 women currently serving in the armed forces
and 1.8 million who are Veterans," Assistant Secretary L. Tammy
Duckworth said.



Women Veterans are one of the fastest growing segments of the Veteran
population. They comprise 7.5 percent of the total Veteran population
and nearly 5.5 percent of all Veterans who use VA health care services.



VA estimates women Veterans will constitute 10 percent of the Veteran
population by 2020 and 9.5 percent of VA patients.