U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs CWV - News Update

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In Case You Missed It:  The Center for Women Veterans is sharing recent news stories that may be of interest to women Veterans, military women, and their supporters on a weekly basis.  Share your thoughts about them on social media with the hashtag #womenVets.

 

05/14/2018 10:18 AM EDT

VA is proud to honor and support Veterans who are welcoming new babies into their families.  In partnership with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, 60 VA medical centers will host special baby showers, complete with baby-themed games and care packages, while building awareness of VA’s comprehensive maternity care services. [From VAntage Point]

05/14/2018 10:01 AM EDT

In an effort to raise awareness and improve access for victims, VA’s Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System approached Sexual Assault Awareness Month a little differently this year. [From VAntage Point]

05/14/2018 09:00 AM EDT

In September 2017, VA began updating the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities, the federal regulations used by claims processors to determine the severity of disabilities related to military service and decide claims.  VA is completely updating this group of federal regulations commonly referred to as the “VASRD” or “rating schedule” for the first time since 1945. [From VAntage Point]

05/14/2018 08:08 AM EDT

Brandi Hoeft didn’t join the U.S. Navy to make a point about being a woman in a man’s world — the 20-year-old Rice Lake native knew she wanted to be in the military all her life.  But whether she originally intended to or not, Hoeft and a group of women on board the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt did make a statement this year [From Military.com]

05/14/2018 08:08 AM EDT

Veterans Affairs healthcare providers will now be able to use telehealth and virtual technology to administer care to patients in other states, despite licensing restrictions, the VA announced May 11, 2018.  The VA instituted a new rule, designed in conjunction with the White House Office of American Innovation and the Department of Justice, to give healthcare providers the authority to use telemedicine capabilities across the country to treat patients. [From Federal Times]

05/14/2018 06:38 AM EDT

Some DeKalb-area Vietnam Veterans learned Saturday that time’s passing doesn’t necessarily mean a passage from memory.  Even with the Vietnam War a half-century gone, Eddie L. Bell, state president for the Department of Texas Korean War Veterans Association, presented nine Vietnam War Veterans with Vietnam War Commendation Awards in appreciation for their service. [From Texarkana Gazette]

05/14/2018 06:38 AM EDT

In the photo, Maj. Kelly Bell is sitting on the bleachers at the firing range pumping breast milk while the rest of her fellow soldiers are chatting or eating lunch, seeming blissfully unaware of her activity.  “If you are pumping the flap on the shirt covers everything, it is very discreet,” Bell, a mother of two, said referring to the breastfeeding shirt she was wearing while taking a break from firing her weapon. [From Connecting Vets]

05/14/2018 06:38 AM EDT

Next Wednesday, the San Mateo County Human Services Agency will partner with Supervisor Warren Slocum’s office and the San Mateo County Veterans Commission to host a summit with a focus on women of the military.  “We probably have more female veterans than we have ever had as a country,” Norman Aleman, County Veterans Services supervisor said. [From Half Moon Bay Review]

05/14/2018 06:38 AM EDT

People in the military who experience trauma, including sexual trauma, have an increased risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder, and conditions such as fibromyalgia and chronic pain, according to researchers. [From Fibromyalgia News Today]

05/14/2018 06:38 AM EDT

Among pay raises, personnel additions and expanded funding for new equpiment, tucked within the National Defense Authorization Act for 2019, the annual defense spending bill, is an amendment increase in funding for female-specific body armor.  In recent years, female service members have seen changes to their service uniforms so they can properly complete missions but it’s challenging to shoot, move and communicate if your gear, specifically body armor, doesn’t fit correcetly. [From Connecting Vets]

05/14/2018 06:38 AM EDT

The “I Am Not Invisible” exhibit visited Hibbing Community College as part of an awareness campaign highlighting female Veterans.  In included the portraits and stories of 33 Minnesotan women Veterans and will continue to travel throughout northern Minnesota during the month of May. [From Hibbing Daily Tribune]

05/14/2018 06:38 AM EDT

Over one in five women Veterans who use the VA have histories of military sexual trauma (MST).  Ensuring delivery of primary care that is sensitive to these and other trauma exposures is therefore critical.  Learn more »

05/14/2018 06:38 AM EDT

With Mother’s day around the corner, the VA Medical Hospital hosted a special event for expecting Veteran mothers.  About a dozen attended the VA’s Hospital Baby shower for local Veterans welcoming new children into their families this year. [From KOLO8]

05/14/2018 06:38 AM EDT

There are 800,000 Veterans in Pennsylvania, 60,000 of them are women.  The state wants to make sure it’s equipped to help them handle the unique challenges they face, but first it needs to know what those challenges are. [From ABC27]

05/14/2018 06:38 AM EDT

Jennifer Decker is a navy Veteran, has degrees in psychology and creative writing, is certified in home inspection and teaching English as a second language, and aspires to become a member of the clergy; but her biggest life dream has always been motherhood.  “I think being a Veteran is a blessing and a benefit because it’s important to structure yourself throughout your life to be good role models so your kids can aspire to be greater,“ said Decker, who’s pregnant with her third child. [From Deseret News Utah]

05/14/2018 06:38 AM EDT

“There were times that you worked just as hard if not harder than the guy next to you because you had to prove yourself,” said Ms. Stacey Moore about her nearly 20 year career in the U.S. Air Force. [From WBIR10]

05/14/2018 06:38 AM EDT

Some mid-Missouri Veterans and their families walked away from the Truman VA with gift boxes filled with infant care items on Friday.  “We want Veterans who come to the VA to not only come here for visits but also know we are a support system for them,“ Women’s Veteran Program Manager Cindy Stivers said. [From KOMU]

05/14/2018 06:38 AM EDT

Delphine Metcalf-Foster never imagined she would on any list that included Dr. Jill Biden, Elizabeth Dole, Dwayne ’The Rock’ Johnson, Gary Senise, and Jon Stewart.  But there the Vallejo woman sits, No. 8 of the “Mighty 25” of 2018, a prestigious selection of “influencers supporting the military community who are doing extraordinary things.” [From Times-Herald Lifestyle]

05/11/2018 07:25 AM EDT

The Manchester, New Hampshire VA Medical facility, in collaboration with Bedford and White River Junction VA Medical Centers, was the most recent VA facility to participate in VA’s 2018 Nationwide Baby Shower.  Nationally, VA partnered with Philips, First Quality Enterprises, the American Legion and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation to host 60 baby showers for 2,400 Veterans at VA medical center sites around the country. [From VAntage Point]

05/11/2018 07:01 AM EDT

The Carl Vinson Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center hosted a baby shower Thursday to help honor and support Veterans welcoming new children.  Veteran Brittany Newkirk expressed her thanks to the Carl Vinson VA. [From WGXA16]

05/11/2018 07:01 AM EDT

Women are the fastest-growing group of Veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  And about half the country’s two million female Veterans are of childbearing age. [From WYPR]

05/10/2018 07:47 AM EDT

As more women join combat-coded units, they are finding that there’s not enough properly-fitted equipment or armor there to support them, defense appropriators told Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford Wednesday.  Since 2016, women have been able to join all combat units, and in the Army alone, more than 600 have joined since that ban was lifted. [From Military Times]

05/10/2018 07:47 AM EDT

If you’re going to invite 200 pregnant women to a baby shower, you better be prepared.  Have plenty of food and a bathroom nearby, said DuVane Stockton, one of the expectant moms invited to the Baby Shower for Mothers’ Day on Wednesday at the Temple VA. [From TDT News]

05/09/2018 03:30 PM EDT

Coming home from deployment can be challenging.  That’s why Vet Centers offer free community-based counseling for eligible Veterans, active-duty service members and their families. [From VAntage Point]

05/09/2018 12:48 PM EDT

Jackie Munn spilled hot chai on her lap and the girls erupted in giggles.  They danced, smiled, asked why Munn had blue eyes.  Then came the whip. [From The War Horse]

05/09/2018 10:45 AM EDT

More American women than ever are having children at an age that was once thought almost impossible.  What does it feel like? [From Vogue]

05/09/2018 10:29 AM EDT

In November 2017, VA launched the Rapid Appeals Modernization Program (RAMP).  RAMP provides a unique opportunity for Veterans with a pending disability compensation appeal to have early access to the more efficient review process in the historic Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 before the law takes effect in February 2019. [From VAntage Point]

05/09/2018 10:06 AM EDT

The Veteran’s Affairs Southern Nevada Healthcare System in partnership with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation hosted a baby shower on Monday, May 7, 2018, at the North Las Vegas Veterans Affairs Medical Center.  Sixty U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers around the country plan to host baby showers between May 5-16 to honor and support veterans welcoming new children into their families. [From Las Vegas Review-Journal]

05/09/2018 08:20 AM EDT

During a surprise pre-commencement celebration, 16 graduating women Veterans were honored with Quilts of Valor.  While not all 16 Veterans could be present at Tuesday’s ceremony at the University of Tennessee, none of the recipients were aware that they were being honored with a quilt to congratulate them for earning their degrees and thank them for their service. [From Wate.com]

05/09/2018 08:20 AM EDT

Eight years after the Navy announced a policy change allowing women to serve on submarines, there are 93 women aboard Pacific Fleet vessels, including nine officers on two Virginia-class submarines at Pearl Harbor, the undersea service said.  “The submarine force’s women integration efforts in the Pacific to date have gone smoothly,” said Cmdr. Corey Barker, spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet Submarine Force. [From Military.com]

05/09/2018 08:20 AM EDT

Public and private health systems need to do a better job of taking women’s healthcare needs into account, several experts said here.  “Culture change is critical,” Laurie Zephyrin, MD, director of reproductive health at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), said last week at the World Health Care Congress annual meeting. [From Medpage Today]

05/09/2018 07:15 AM EDT

Shandi Robinson recently gave birth to a baby girl.  But having just moved across the country from California to Maryland, the eight-year Navy Veteran didn’t know anyone in the area who would throw her a baby shower. [From Military Times]

05/09/2018 07:15 AM EDT

The Dayton VA Medical Center has planned a baby shower for Veterans who have recently become parents in the past calendar year to help welcome their little ones into the world.  Parents who go to the event will be able to pick up a variety of goodie bags, which include bottles, diapers, lotions and a diaper bag. [From FOX 45 Now]

05/09/2018 07:15 AM EDT

The nonprofit agency Safe Parking LA will launch a pilot program for homeless Veterans at the VAGLAHS Campus starting Wednesday April 18.  People living in their vehicles will be assigned a place to park overnight and will be provided with access to bathrooms, showers, social services and eventually housing. [From Santa Monica Mirror]

05/09/2018 07:15 AM EDT

Veteran moms, dads, and soon-to-be mothers were showered with appreciation Tuesday as the Memphis VA Medical Center joined a nationwide baby shower event, honoring men and women who have served our country.  Organizers not only want to make sure parents have what they need in the first weeks of being a new parent, but to also recognize the contributions women have made to the military. [From Local Memphis]

05/09/2018 07:15 AM EDT

Overall care quality in U.S. Veterans Health Administration facilities is similar to or better than care provided in other U.S. health systems, according to a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.  The researchers looked at a number of commonly used measures of care quality and found VA hospitals generally provided better quality care than non-VA hospitals. [From Becker’s Hospital Review]

05/09/2018 07:15 AM EDT

The Sioux Falls VA Medical Center hosted its first-ever baby shower for area women Veterans.  Twenty-four new and expecting parents enjoyed dinner and the opportunity to network with their fellow Veteran parents and parents-to-be. [From KSFY]

05/09/2018 07:15 AM EDT

The West Texas VA Health Care System will shower 18 women Veterans and their families with new baby essentials Tuesday from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. at the VA Permian Basin Community Based Outpatient Clinic, as part of the first ever Nationwide Baby Shower for Veterans. [From News West 9]

05/08/2018 02:24 PM EDT

As I reached the peak of Bear ridge, I thought, “This is it.  This is where I die.” I was so exhausted.  Read more » [From Medium]

05/08/2018 10:27 AM EDT

VA is currently investigating a telephone scam involving an individual or individuals impersonating VA Office of General Counsel attorneys.  The perpetrator reportedly calls Veterans and requests money to process their claims for benefits. [From VAntage Point]