Health Care News
UCLA’s Operation Mend to Help Veterans with Hidden Wounds of War
Wednesday, April 13, 2016 | Category: Health Care - California
In the past, UCLA’s "Operation Mend" helped heal service members' visible wounds. Now, the program will Veterans suffering from invisible wounds including mild traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress. UCLA’s experts in neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry and others will collaborate. The six-week program, focused on post-9/11 veterans and their families, will help them with their psychological needs through healing arts, working with horses, and an ancient Chinese practice focusing on breathing and movement. Two organizations, Warrior Care Network and the Wounded Warrior Project, have committed $100 million over three years to fund the program. The Warrior Care Network includes programs in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago as well as California.
Female Veterans Should Expect Highest Standard of Care from VA
Tuesday, March 29, 2016 | Category: Health Care - Florida
Joni Marquez, author of this opinion piece, is the Orlando local director of Concerned Veterans for America. She poses the question about what kind of care she should expect from the Department of Veterans Affairs understanding she is transitioning out of the military after 14 years of service and seeking a "normal life." She notes: "The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is supposed to help me make that transition, but how can I trust the VA will treat me with dignity and respect when there are so many examples in recent years of the department letting us down?"
How Pharmacists Can Better Serve Older Female Veterans
Thursday, February 25, 2016 | Category: Health Care - National
One of the results of the Women's Health Initiative indicated women veterans have a 25% greater chance of hip fracture and higher 10-year probabilities for any major fracture compared to civilian women. Dr. Joanne LaFleur and fellow researchers examined data on patients aged 50 to 79 years, 3,719 self-reported as veterans and 141,802 self-reported as non-veterans. She noted that it is important to manage smoking and weight loss, pharmacists can help with focusing on osteoporosis risk,
Hawaii Bill Pushes for Help for Female Veterans
Wednesday, February 24, 2016 | Category: Health Care - Hawaii
Hawaii Office of Veterans Services Director Ronald Han is asking lawmakers to pass a bill to help provide more services to female veterans. In particular, the law would establish and fund a full-time counselor position in the Hawaii Office of Veterans Services focused on female veterans.
Female Veterans to Receive Free Gynecological Care from Board-certified Ob-Gyn
Wednesday, February 17, 2016 | Category: Health Care - New Jersey
Dr. Jennifer Ashton, Board-certified Ob-Gyn, author and TV medical correspondent, will be providing free gynecological care to female veterans. Dr. Ashton stated: "I read the "Mother Jones" piece and was outraged by the fact that so many of our female veterans do not have access to basic healthcare services. The fact that one-third of VA Medical Centers do not have a gynecologist on staff is appalling. I know that my actions are not a cure to this problem, but I wanted to take some action and I wanted to do something now." Women veterans wishing to make an appointment, please call Dr. Ashton's practice, Hygeia Gynecology at 201-399-2812. Her office, "Hygeia Gynecology," is located in Englewood, New Jersey.
For Fertility Treatment, Wounded Veterans Have To Pay The Bill
Wednesday, February 17, 2016 | Category: Health Care - National
Matt Keil came home with a "Christopher Reeve'-type injury." The Keils wanted to have children, but they'd need in vitro fertilization. It's a very expensive procedure costing on average at least $12,000 per cycle of treatment, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. The Department of Defense health care system covers IVF for wounded service members, but the Department of Veterans Affairs does not due to "Veterans Health Care Act of 1992," Public Law 102-585. Recently, Senator Murray's (WA) "S.469 - Women Veterans and Families Health Services Act of 2015" was blocked as other attempts have been in the past. Fertility clinics around the nation offer discounted IVF rates for veterans self-funding the procedure. The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology provides a "Service to Veterans" list of participating clinics at: https://www.sartcorsonline.com/ServiceToVeterans.aspx.
Pa. Senate Approves Task Force to Study Health Care for Female Veterans
Wednesday, February 17, 2016 | Category: Health Care - Pennsylvania
A Pennsylvania Senate resolution was recently approved to stand up a task force of cabinet-level secretaries, health care experts, and four female military veterans who would focus on the health care needs of their state's 72,000 women veterans. The panel will review how female veterans receive health care, especially for post traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, or sexual assault or abuse. The impetus for the review was the expected rise in number of women serving in the military, opening up combat positions, and a need to pay more attention to women's health issues. The task force is expected to meet five times and prepare recommendations by the close of 2016.
VA Offering Specialized Programs for Women Veterans
Thursday, February 4, 2016 | Category: Health Care - Michigan
The number of women veterans is increasing and although the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is developing specialized programs for them, not many women veterans know about the initiatives or think that they are qualifying veterans. The Iron Mountain Medical Center in Michigan served over 1,100 women veterans in 2015. Barbara Robinson, woman veteran program manager, stated that the Center has trained women's health providers. For more information, search for the "VA locator directory," click on "Michigan," then the "Iron Mountain Medical Center," "Health Care Services," and then "Women Veterans."
Women Vets Upset About V.A. Hospitals
Monday, February 1, 2016 | Category: Health Care - Florida
Two women veterans in Sarasota, Florida share their concerns regarding Department of Veterans Affairs care to include the lengthy times to process paperwork and secure appointments. Investigative reporters noted a Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General report in which nearly 42,000 veteran records were kept in disarray at a contracted facility. The VA Chief of Primary Care offered that women veterans are their fastest growing cohort.
Military Fertility: It's Complicated
Thursday, January 28, 2016 | Category: Health Care - National
Dr. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie,a retired colonel and forensic psychiatrist who specializes in military, veterans and women's health issues, advocates for the military to better educate servicemembers on birth control during basic training as well as counseling women on long-term birth control options. While some contraception is available to women and men, access to it can be challenging stateside, before deployment, and during deployment. Additionally, for families with trouble conceiving, fertility preservation is not a service offered by the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs. "Serving Our Veterans" is a network of fertility clinics offering "deeply discounted" care to veterans whose service-related injuries impaired their fertility. To find a clinic, visit the "Service for Assisted Reproductive Technology Service to Veteran List."