VA North Texas Health Care System
Women Veterans are Encouraged to Seek Care at VA North Texas Health Care System
March 19, 2010
DALLAS – Although women Veterans may not consider VA as a primary health care option, VA facilities in Dallas, Fort Worth, Bonham and Tyler are encouraging women Veterans to learn more about VA health care and services.
In 2009, VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS) served over 7,000 women Veterans, and 40% were under the age of 45 and of reproductive age. A 10% increase was seen over the past two years and a tripling of that population is expected over the next five years.
With the support of the President, Congressional Veterans Affairs Committees, and VA Secretary Shinseki, VANTHCS is preparing for the influx of women Veterans to ensure they receive the highest quality care. Through VA grant opportunities, as well as three education grants, funding was obtained for new specialty clinic space at Dallas VA Medical Center. Through utilization of special funding received from the Woman Veterans Strategic Health Care Group, nine primary care providers have been sent to VA-funded women's health mini residencies.
Women veteran health programs are provided at Dallas VA Medical Center, Fort Worth Outpatient Clinic, and Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center in Bonham which include primary care, pap smear, mammography, gynecological care, mental health and referrals for maternity. Women’s stress disorders and military sexual trauma services are available. Women’s clinics are also held at VA community based outpatient clinics in Denton and Tyler.
Completion of the new Fort Worth Outpatient Clinic is scheduled in October 2010, which will be the largest leased outpatient clinic space within the Department of Veterans Affairs and will house the first comprehensive women’s health clinic in North Texas.
The cornerstone of the women veterans program is to provide all women Veterans the necessary resources to make healthy lifestyle decisions through education and professional health care. Although heart-disease death rates in women have decreased overall recently, the rate in young women triples between the third and forth decades of life. This suggests that the ages between late 20s and early 30s is a critical time for women to take action to reduce their cardiovascular disease risk. Eighty percent of new women Veterans enrolled at VANTHCS are in this age group.
VANTHCS encourages women Veterans to contact Women Veterans Program Manager Mary Sweeney at 214 857-1938 for more information or to tour the women’s clinic and learn more about how VA can meet their health care needs.
