Women Veterans Information
Women represent an irreplaceable, valuable part of the armed forces of the United States. Despite their significant contributions, many former servicewomen have neglected to apply for the benefits they have rightfully earned. Many people, including those women who served their country, mistakenly believe that they are not considered “veterans”.
In the State of Idaho, there are an estimated 10,000 women veterans.
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Womens Veterans Conference
Held Biennially. Next Conference will be June 2024
News
Get the latest information regarding women veterans issues.
VA Center for Women Veterans
Serve as an advocate for a cultural transformation in recognizing the service & contributions of women in the military.
VA Healthcare Services
Every VA facility is committed to meeting the unique needs of women veterans by delivering the highest quality of care to each woman, while offering her the privacy, dignity, and sensitivity to gender-specific needs that she deserves. Local VA facilities have full time Women Veterans Program Managers ready to assist you in getting timely access to the health care you need.
General Health Services
Primary Care, gynecological care, maternity care, birth control, infertility evaluation and treatment (excluding in-vitro fertilization), menopause evaluation and treatment, osteoporosis screening and treatment, cancer screenings, mammograms, wellness and healthy living, nutrition and weight management and stop smoking programs
Mental Health Services
Management of depression, anxiety and stress, adjustment from deployment, counseling and treatment for: military sexual trauma, parenting and caregiver issues, violence and alcohol and alcohol and drug dependence
Special programs
Include services for homeless veterans, links to job and career counseling and the MOVE! (Managing Obesity in Veterans Everywhere) program
Women Veterans Program Managers
Boise VAMC: Sharon Cardona, MSN, RN, NEA-BC (208) 422-1000 x7442;
Salt Lake City VAMC: Toni Pegues; (801) 582-1565, ext 4510
Spokane VAMC: Julie Liss, MSN, RN (509) 434-7608
Walla Walla VAMC: Kristi Green, MSN, RN (509) 525-5200
Health Benefits Eligibility and Enrollment
VA Health Benefits Call Center
1-877-222-8387
Building Trust with Women Veterans
The below content was produced by the Veterans Experience Office. Excerpt from Building Trust with Women Veterans: Understanding the Moments that Matter in VA Clinics for Women Veterans:
Women Veterans are the fastest growing demographic group of Veterans in the United States. Currently, they make up 2 million, or 9.5%, of the 20 million living Veterans today. While the number of Veterans overall is decreasing, the number of women Veterans is increasing rapidly. The continued rise will result in more demands for women Veteran healthcare services.
Annual surveys indicate that women Veterans have lower trust scores than men. To understand why, the Center for Women Veterans, Women’s Health Services and the Veterans Experience Office (VEO) teamed up to explore how women currently experience outpatient care. For our research we spoke with women Veterans who currently use VA healthcare; women who tried to access VA healthcare; and women who, at one point in the past, used VA healthcare.
By helping document where women Veterans experience pain points along their outpatient care journey with VA, we can then work to address those pain points. Doing so helps ensure a consistent experience that builds trust with women Veterans within and across VA facilities. Improving care for women Veterans in VA can elevate the standard of care for all Veterans.