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VA » Health Care » Women Veterans Health Care » Non-VA Clinicians

Women Veterans Health Care

Non-VA Clinicians

Women Veterans have unique health care needs. Non-VA providers and medical trainees need to understand these to better care for women Veterans.

Approximately 78% of women Veterans get their health care outside of VA at academic centers and community practices. Women don't always identify themselves as Veterans or wear clothing or accessories that identify themselves as Veterans. It is important to ask women if they have ever served in the military, no matter how far away from a military base they may be.

How To Use This Site

While the target audience of the VA Women's Health website is women Veterans, the site offers many great resources for non-VA clinicians:

An overview of health services for women, which includes information on a variety of resources and services VA provides to women Veterans
Information on services organized by topic, and how women Veterans can access those services
Important information on eligibility, enrollment, and how to apply

The below outreach materials and resources can be filtered by health topic:

VHA TRAIN Caring for Women Veterans in the Community

One of the best ways to learn more about how to care for women Veterans is by taking the Caring for Women Veterans in the Community training on VHA TRAIN, a learning network that houses a comprehensive catalog of public health training opportunities. This training addresses unique concerns such as military sexual trauma, musculoskeletal pain, and post-deployment readjustment and how they can differently impact women Veterans compared to non-Veteran women. If you have additional questions or need assistance, please contact the help desk at [email protected].

Community Care clinicians who take this course will learn to:

Recognize how the evolving role, increasing number, and diversity of women in military service impact their changing medical care needs
List the key components of a military history while understanding how a woman Veteran's service might affect her current or future health
Recognize the gender-specific, clinical manifestations of common Veteran health issues, including pain syndromes and mental health concerns
Use patient-centered, trauma-informed care for pelvic exams for women Veterans whose experiences with military sexual trauma, PTSD, or IPV may make them sensitive to gender-specific exams

Caring for Women Veterans in the Community

If you are a health care provider, chances are you are providing care for a woman Veteran. And you may not even know it. More information.

The Women Veterans Call Center is your guide to women's health

If you have questions or can't find what you're looking for, you can call, text, or chat online with the Women Veterans Call Center (WVCC) at 855-829-6636 to get help and find available resources and services in your area. Trained women representatives can also help you with issues such as:

Enrolling in VA health care if you have not already
Setting up a medical appointment in your area
Answering questions about eligibility (including questions about disability ratings) and other VA benefits like employment, education, and home loans

WVCC representatives are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET, and Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET.

Call Text Chat

Additional Resources for Non-VA Clinicians

See program offered by VA's Office of Academic Affiliations, which educates and trains health professionals to enhance the quality of and timely access to care provided to Veterans within VHA.
Visit the VA App Store for apps created specifically for Veterans and their health care professionals
Download the Military Health History Pocket Card to help guide important questions
Share information about the Women Veterans Call Center with women Veterans
Visit VA's Community Care page for more information about Veteran care in the community
See the Facts and Statistics page for more information about women Veterans
Read publications and reports about women Veterans
View videos that cover a variety of topics related to women Veterans