Women Veterans Monthly Newsletter - March 2025

Veterans Health Administration sent this bulletin at 03/19/2025 12:00 PM EDT

WOMEN VETERANS HEALTH CARE

Women Veterans banners: Women are Veterans too. Women Veterans belong at VA.

Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System

Women Veterans Program Newsletter
March 2025

Pink Goes Red!

Pink ribbon graphic. Text reads: Eastern Oklahoma VA pink goes red for women's heart health.

February 7^th was National Wear Red Day!

On February 7th, 2025, VA Employees showed up in their red attire to raise awareness for Women's Heart Health!

THCC employees wear red.

Pelvic Floor Muscle Training

Graphic of pelvic bones and pelvic floor muscles.

What are Pelvic Floor Muscles?

The pelvic floor muscles are a collection of muscles that provide support for pelvic organs to include the uterus, vagina, bladder and bowels.

They are important in the control of urination or bowel movements, and play a key role in sexual function.

Injury or weakness to the muscles can cause symptoms such as urinary leakage, feces or gas leakage, pain with intimacy, pelvic organ prolapse, and sexual dysfunction.

Check out the full Pelvic Exercise Infographic

Endometriosis

Let's Talk Endometriosis

Do you experience painful periods but tend to brush your symptoms aside? Could it be more than just “bad cramps?” For many women, severe pain, heavy bleeding, or other symptoms could be signs of endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue that is similar to the inner lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, causing inflammation, pain, and sometimes irregular bleeding. Here are five things you should know about endometriosis:

Severe pelvic or abdominal pain during your period, sex, or bowel movements is not normal. If over-the-counter pain medications don't help and the pain disrupts everyday tasks for several days each month, it’s time to get help.

Early diagnosis matters. Left untreated, pain and symptoms can worsen. Talk to your VA health care provider about your symptoms and concerns.

About 1 in 10 women of reproductive age experience endometriosis. Despite being common, it often takes years to diagnose due to lack of symptom awareness.

Endometriosis can make it more difficult to get pregnant. Between 30-50% of women with endometriosis may experience infertility.

Endometriosis is often a chronic condition—VA can help. Your VA clinician can diagnose endometriosis and help you manage pain and symptoms through medications, hormone therapy, or surgery.

VA recognizes how overwhelming it can feel to manage chronic pain. Endometriosis tends to be a chronic condition that requires a long-term treatment plan. Your VA health care provider will work with you to determine the best treatment options for you, which may include medication, hormone therapy, or surgery.

Remember, severe pain during your period is not normal. Compassionate VA women’s health primary care providers are available and will listen to your concerns. To learn more about endometriosis, download the Women Veterans Endometriosis brochure.

Need help getting started? Call, text, or chat with the Women Veterans Call Center at 1-855-VA-WOMEN to speak to a real person who can help you enroll, schedule an appointment, and get connected to care you can trust.

Wellness for Women Veterans

Watercolor style tree with colorful birds and butterflies.

3^rd Annual Conference
Tulsa, Oklahoma

June 12^th, 2025

More information coming soon!

Four service medals. Text reads: She earned these. It's our job to give her the best care anywhere.

Is It Time to Start Moving Your Body More?

A woman performs a yoga pose. Text reads: At VA, you are the center of your health care.

An active lifestyle decreases the risks of long-term health problems. Moving regularly decreases inflammation in the body which is at the center of many diseases.

Moving your body on a regular basis lowers your risk for some types of cancer, fatty liver disease, chronic pain, arthritis and even dementia. It also helps relieve anxiety and depression. Some comprehensive practices—which include movement, such as yoga, Tai Chi, and qigong—can also help you practice mindfulness and other skills.

Consider the results you’d like to focus on, such as improving strength, flexibility, balance, range of motion and the mind-body connection.

Moving your body doesn’t have to involve working out in a gym or joining a sports team—you can bike, walk, swim, garden, play a sport, or play with a child or an animal. You can exercise on your own or with a group, or whenever it works for you. Any activity is better than none; even a few minutes a day is beneficial. It’s important to choose activities that you enjoy because you’ll stick with them!

Many activities which include movement, such as yoga, Tai Chi, strength training, and aerobics, can be modified for people with limited mobility due to chronic pain or injury.

Women Veterans Program in Action

Tricia Bear interviews Michele Reeves about Women Veterans services.

On Friday January 24th, The EOVAHCS Women Veterans Program Manager, Michele Reeves sat down for a one on one interview with Ms. Tricia Bear. Ms. Bear is a DAV/VFW Service Officer in the Henryetta VFW. This interview was recorded for placement on the Henryettan newspaper’s you tube channel. The interview focused on various Women Veterans benefits and general questions regarding services offered.

Watch the full interview on YouTube

Interested in Past Newsletters?

Check us out on the web!

A woman and a group of guys play basketball. Text reads: Which one is the Veteran? They all are. It's our job to give every Veteran the care anywhere.

New Veteran Orientation

Come to our New Veteran Orientation
Held Monthly at Ernest Childers Outpatient Clinic in Tulsa

Are you new to VA health care? Are you a current VA patient, but want to learn more about what services and benefits VA has to offer and how to obtain them?

Join Us For New Veteran Orientation

When:
The 2^nd Tuesday of every month

Where:
Ernest Childers VA Clinic
8921 S. Mingo Rd.
Tulsa, OK 74113
2^nd floor, Rooms 2008 - 2010 (across from optometry)

Time:
1 p.m.

Open to all Veterans, family members, caregivers, and community partners.

Meet representatives from various departments within the VA
Learn about the processes for getting things done at the VA
Learn about and sign up for My HealtheVet
Question and answer session

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

	Kellie Zimmerman, RN Women Veteran In-reach/Outreach Coordinator Email: Kellie.Zimmerman@va.gov Phone: 918-348-5128		Stephanie Frink, RN Mammogram Navigator (Tulsa) Email: Stephanie.Frink@va.gov Phone: 918-252-8000, ext. 29117

	Tia Miller, BSN, RN Pap & Reproductive Navigator Email: Tia.Miller@va.gov Phone: 918-577-8960

Keep updated & let us know how we're doing.


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