Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System

Women Veterans Program Newsletter
July 2024

Nutrition

An Important Part of a Veteran's Whole Health

Making healthy choices about what you eat and drink is a powerful way to help care for yourself. Our bodies need the nutrients from the foods we eat and beverages we drink as fuel to help our bodies work properly, stay healthy, and fight disease. The right foods help you not only to live, but to live well. People often do not realize that their food choices affect the way they feel, both physically and emotionally. Choosing foods that nourish rather than harm your body may help prevent chronic conditions and the need for certain medications in the future. Food can also be used to help treat some health conditions.

Food and Drink – The Impact on Health

Mindful eating is about being aware of how you feel when you eat. It involves paying attention to the color, smell, taste, and texture of food. Mindful eating cannot only help us to eat less if attempting to lose weight, but it can also help us enjoy the foods we consume more, how particular foods and drinks affect your short- and long-term health is unique to you. Eating mindfully and choosing healthy foods and drinks can help you do the following:

Reduce Pain and Inflammation – A diet high in fruits, vegetables, and fiber can help to reduce chronic inflammation and pain. Anti-inflammatory spices include rosemary, turmeric, sage, ginger, and cumin and can be incorporated into many recipes.

Manage Weight – More and more people are not at a healthy weight. Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. These are among the leading causes of preventable, premature death. Also important is that extra weight may lower the quality of your life. If you carry extra weight, you may not be able to do everything that you want to do. The foods we eat and the amounts we eat may impact our ability to lose weight or manage our weight.

Improve Gut Health – Our intestines contain over 100 trillion bacteria. Many of these bacteria aid in digestion and help prevent infections. Poor nutrition can kill the good bacteria. Probiotic foods (such as yogurt and kefir) contain live microorganisms. You can eat these foods to improve the balance of bacteria in your intestines.

Maintain or Improve Your Mood and Behavior – The way we eat affects our mental health and behavior. A large study found that eating whole foods (fruits, vegetables, and fish) helped prevent depression. Eating a diet of processed meat, chocolates, sweet desserts, fried food, refined cereals, and high-fat dairy products increased risk for depression.

Influence Your Sleep – Foods with caffeine can make going to sleep a challenge. If you do not sleep enough or have poor sleep, you may eat food that is less healthy and have a harder time losing weight.

Resources:

Food & Drink Overview
On this webpage, explore how to boost your well-being through Food and Drink.

Whole Health: Food & Drink Video
Learn how food & drink contribute to your Whole Health.

Healthy Teaching Kitchen YouTube Channel
Cooking videos created by the VHA Nutrition and Food Services.

Prosthetic and Sensory Aids

Women Veterans: You deserve the best prosthetic and sensory aids designed to fit your lifestyle and your body, based on your unique health care needs. VA offers comprehensive and advanced prosthetic devices, sensory aids, and rehabilitation services.

VA recognizes that prosthetic and sensory aids are not "one size fits all" and has made great strides in adapting options to meet your needs and enhancing device appearances to fit your style and preference.

The term "prosthetic device" refers to any device that supports or replaces a body part or function.

Prosthetic devices are intended to restore the normal functions of a missing or impaired body part due to physical trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth.

Sensory aids may include a variety of equipment or tools designed to support a loss of function (hearing, sight, movement, and more).

Gender-Neutral and Gender-Specific Options

VA provides a wide range of comprehensive services and devices for prosthetic and sensory aids including:

• Orthotic and prosthetic services
• Mobility aids
• Hearing aids or glasses
• Communication and assistive devices
• Recreational and rehab equipment
• Surgical implants
• Automobile adaptive equipment
• Home improvement and structural alterations, such as bathroom modifications

Specific examples of these services and devices include custom limbs, canes, walkers, or wheelchairs, diabetic shoes and orthotic inserts, hearing aids, respiratory equipment, and more.

Gender specific examples include, but are not limited to:

• Nursing bras and breast pumps
• Maternity support belts and items
• Post-mastectomy items (including bathing suits)
• Wigs for alopecia or post-chemotherapy
• Long-acting reversible contraceptives (like intrauterine devices)
• Pelvic floor devices
• Vaginal dilators

For more information about the above services, Reach out to your Primary Care Team.

Uterine Cancer

Early Detection Matters!

Uterine cancer is usually treatable if detected early. That is why it is important to know the symptoms and risk factors.

You are at risk for uterine cancer as long as you have a uterus and you can get endometrial cancer before menopause, though the risk only increases with age. Postmenopausal bleeding is never normal.

There are no screening tests for uterine cancer, and it not tested for during routine exams with your doctor (such as Pap tests). Therefore, it’s especially important for you to know the symptoms and risks and to speak to your doctor if something does not feel right.

According to the American Association for Cancer Research, there is a significant racial disparity in survival rates of women facing endometrial cancer, with non-Hispanic black women being more likely to die from endometrial cancer than women in other racial or ethnic groups (no matter what stage or subtype of the disease they had). Black women are more likely to have uterine fibroids, and ultrasounds are not always helpful at evaluating the endometrium. Women should always undergo endometrial sampling if concerned.

Risk factors for developing uterine cancer include (but are not limited to):

• Age (being over 50 or postmenopausal)
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Family history of cancer
• Hormone therapy, such as tamoxifen

Symptoms of uterine cancer may include:

• Heavier periods than normal, especially in those people with risk factors
• Vaginal bleeding between periods
• Any vaginal bleeding after menopause
• Pelvic pain or discomfort

You have access to primary and gynecological care at VA (including Pap test and HPV vaccines). If your provider determines you need to see a gynecologic specialist or an oncologist (cancer specialist), they can refer you to one at your VA medical center or at a health care facility in your community.

If you are showing symptoms of uterine cancer, your doctor may do a diagnostic test to find out what’s causing your symptoms. This may include performing a biopsy or an ultrasound to rule out cancer.

If diagnosed, these specialists will work with your VA health care team to develop a treatment and care plan for uterine cancer.

To learn more about VA’s National Oncology Program, visit VA | National Oncology Program

A Culture of Change at Your VA

Health Care That Fits Your Needs

We understand that you are unique and have your own specific health needs. At VA you have the opportunity and the support you need to reach your best level of health, no matter your circumstances or preferences. Things like your race, financial situation, and where you live can influence your health – and VA is here to support you in those aspects of your life.

VA considers factors like race, culture, disability, location, service history, and lifestyle when giving you customized and equitable care. Equitable health care means providing you with the resources and conditions that give you an equal opportunity to reach your best health. VA has many resources in place, both within and outside VA, to make sure we’re meeting you where you need us the most.

Culturally Appropriate Services and Training: VA hires employees and health care providers with diverse backgrounds. This helps bring diverse ideas and viewpoints, which can help improve your care. We also train our health care providers to consider different backgrounds – including cultural beliefs and values – that may impact decisions in health care and treatment. Additionally, if you need care in a different language, VA offers translated information to make communication easier.

Telehealth Services: VA offers remote health care options if you have difficulty making it to in-person appointments due to factors like where you live, disability, age, or other barriers. Some options include virtual appointments, getting prescriptions in the mail, remote monitoring of chronic conditions, and access to online health education resources. VA and its partners are working to ensure that you can access telehealth care from home, and we have several programs that can help you get connected. If you need internet access or a connected device for VA telehealth, we can help.

Caregiver Support: VA offers support to caregivers, including education, training, and financial assistance.

Women’s Health Services: VA provides you with personalized, gender-specific health care services, including important screenings like Pap tests, breast examinations, and mammograms. We also offer maternity care, and general reproductive health care.

Advocacy Coordinators: You have resources like our WVPM or our Maternity Care Coordinators who are available to serve as advocates on your behalf, to help make sure you receive fair and equal health care services.

Additional Services: You also have access to housing resources, nutrition assistance, employment and education services, and mental health counseling and support.

No matter what your situation is, you belong at VA and we're here to help you. Talk to your health care team about what matters most to you, so we can customize your care to meet your unique needs and values.

Learn more at online at Women Veterans Health Care

VA Medical Foster Home Program

Have you heard of the VA Medical Foster Home Program?

When living at home becomes difficult, most people would rather remain in a home-like setting than move to a nursing home. The Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Foster Home (MFH) Program offers Veterans more options to support independence in a home-like environment.

Medical Foster Homes (MFH) are private residences where the caregiver lives and provides continuous care and supervision to the Veterans, with the assistance of relief caregivers. This caregiver can help the Veteran carry out activities of daily living, such as bathing and getting dressed. VA ensures that the caregiver is well trained to provide VA planned care.

MFH is a voluntary long-term care placement option. Some, but not all, residents are Veterans. VA can help you find a warm and caring MFH that meets high quality care and safety standards. The Veteran and their family are encouraged to tour homes before making a decision.

While living in a Medical Foster Home, Veterans receive Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC). HBPC is health care services provided to Veterans in their home. A VA physician supervises the health care team who provides the services in the home based on the unique needs of each individual Veteran. HBPC is for Veterans who have complex health care needs for whom routine clinic-based care is not effective.

Who is eligible for VA's Medical Foster Home services?

Veterans must be enrolled in VA health care to be eligible for the MFH program. MFH is an equivalent to nursing home care. Veterans eligible in MFH are also enrolled in HBPC or Spinal Cord Injury-Home Care.

MFH is an option for Veterans who cannot live on their own due to physical or mental limitations or disabilities. Generally, if a Veteran is living with a chronic condition, has complex care needs, has difficulty getting to the VA for appointments, and needs supervision and care, they may be eligible for this long-term care option.

In addition to the benefits of remaining in the community for long term care, MFH is generally half the cost of traditional nursing home care. MFH is privately paid for by the Veteran each month. Some Veterans do qualify for a special monthly pension which can help pay for the MFH. Contact the local MFH coordinator for more information.

Medical Foster Homes Provides:

• Private rooms
• Home-like living
• Flexibility and choice
• A supervised setting
• Choice of homemade meals/snacks
• Social & recreational activities
• Personal care
• Medication management
• Other care support, as needed

"We're asking our community to open the doors to their homes and help us with this mission," said Bri Sawyer-Fed, MSW, LCSW, the Medical Foster Home coordinator at Jack C. Montgomery VAMC.

If you want to earn an income while working from home caring for Veterans, contact:

Bri Sawyer-Fed, MSW, LCSW
539-235-8062
VHAMUSMedicalFosterHome@va.gov

Meet Your Eastern Oklahoma VA
Women Veterans Medical Director

Dr. Vanessa Meuniot

Welcome to the Women’s Health Medical Director’s page

Welcome to the Women’s Health Medical Director’s page.

I would like to introduce myself to those of you who have not met me yet. My name is Dr. Meuniot, and I am the Women’s Health Medical Director (WHMD) for Eastern Oklahoma.

I joined the VA one year ago and prior to that I was teaching Family Medicine residents as the Program Director for the OSU-CHS MRHC Family Medicine residency program in McAlester, OK. I went to Medical school in Old Westbury, NY then headed to Binghamton, NY to do my residency in Family Medicine. I love working with women and children and I have tremendous respect for all the men and women that have served their country in the various branches of the military.

I am excited to serve as the WHMD and providing high quality care for all of our women veterans. I thought this newsletter would be a great place to have some of your questions answered and I will dedicate this space to answering them. I look forward to hearing from you.

Do you have a question for Dr. Meuniot regarding a health topic
or a general Women Veterans program question?

Email them to: Kellie.Zimmerman@va.gov

Your Eastern Oklahoma
VA Women Veterans Program Team

Michele Reeves, BSN, RN
Women Veterans Program Manager

Email: Michele.Reeves@va.gov
Phone: 918-577-4277

Makyla Clark, MSN, RN, CLC
Mammogram Navigator, Maternity Care Coordinator

Email: Makyla.Clark@va.gov
Phone: 918-577-4242