March 4, 2020 3:30 a.m.
The Roseburg VA Health Care System is noting that March is Women’s History Month and asks women to continue making history with the VA.
VA Chief of Staff Pam Powers said for the VA, the month means more than just celebrating women veterans, “it means making sure they’re proud of the role we play in the remaining chapters of their story”. Powers said the VA will continue to build on the legacy that America’s women veterans have carved out by listening to them, respecting them, and serving them with “the dignity this country owes them”.
A release from the VA said women comprise about ten percent of the veterans served by the VA nationwide. That number is set to increase as women are about twenty percent of current military forces.
The release said for decades, the VA’s principal patient base was men. However, today VA facilities provide comprehensive primary care for women, as well as gynecology, maternity, specialty care and mental health services. In the last fiscal year, 41 percent of all women veterans were enrolled in the VA. That number is expected to keep climbing as customer service and patient experiences for women veterans continue to improve, according to the release.
Since the VA starting tracking outpatient satisfaction in 2017, women’s trust in the VA has climbed higher, according to the release. Last year, 83.8 percent of female veterans trusted the care they got at the VA. That score is forecast to rise this year.
For more information about services offered to female veterans, contact the Roseburg VA.