National Associate Director, VHA Women S Health Program

Regina L. Mack-Abney

National Associate Director, VHA Women’s Health Program

Good Afternoon. Thank you very much Mr. Lewis for the kind introduction and thank you ladies and gentlemen for the warm reception.

I am delighted to be here with you this afternoon. It’s always a joy to get out of the Washington metropolitan area, where as you may know everything moves fast except the traffic and the budget process.

Let me first bring you the greetings and best wishes of my boss, Carole Turner, Director of Women’s Health. Ms. Turner asked that I express her gratitude to National Commander Thomas Brock, Chairman K. Robert Lewis and his staff for extending an invitation to our office for coming together to honor our active military personnel and our nation’s veterans.

Anytime you bring people together in this type of forum, a tremendous amount of planning and coordinating must take place. Those of you who have served in the military know what a challenge it can be to get all of the coordination and communications straight, when planning a program of this magnitude, one that involves a lot of people, especially if the people are in different branches of the military. For example, I recall that when I was an Army community volunteer it was difficult getting all of the services together….even when you thought you had it all of them “on the same sheet of music”, sometimes they didn’t all hear the same lyrics. Because the same terms can mean different things, to different people. For instance, if I were to say, “SECURE THE BUILDING”, it would mean different things to the different branches.

To those of you who served in the Army, it would mean dig a trench, set up a perimeter, and defend the building at all costs. On the other, for those of who were in the Navy, it would mean turn out the lights and lock the doors before you leave. To the Marines, it would mean advance on the building and take control, even if you have to destroy the building;

And to those who were in the Air Force, it would mean take out a three-year lease on the building with an option to buy it.

So with terms meaning different things to different people, I want to commend, Sharon Southern and all the men and women who worked to get everyone on the same sheet of music.

It is through your hard work over the past few months, that we are able to come together for this 88th Annual National Convention of the American Legion.

Today the Department of Veterans Affairs is making good on a promise our nation made to its citizen soldiers. A promise that Abraham Lincoln proclaimed, years ago. A promise that Abraham Lincoln inscribed on a plaque that’s cemented on the exterior walls of VA‘s Headquarters in Washington, DC. The words, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and orphan.— Today, we know that those words apply equally to the women who have served this nation.

The city of Salt Lake is opening the door to services and programs that are designed to care for men and women who have taken care of this Nation on the battlefields of the world.

These men and women are our board of Directors at VA. We have the largest Board of Directors of any organization in government and certainly on many civilian corporations over 25 million men and women, are on the Board---one third of these are women who stood up for America on yesterday and still today expects us, the VA the Nation to stand up for them by providing benefits, services and healthcare that they have earned.

Women veterans have been given a seat at the table at VA and they have a voice in policy development, and they are included in every decision that we make. They also expect our VA employees to better understand their needs and 6to treat them with dignity and respect. The Mission of the Women Veterans Health Program is to promote the health, welfare and dignity of women veterans, and their families, by ensuring equitable access to timely, sensitive quality health care.

To provide you with a snapshot of the history of the Women’s Program here is a brief evolution of Women services in VA-

1983: Congress chartered the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans

1985: Based on the recommendation of the Women Veterans Advisory Committee, the first Women Veterans Coordinators were appointed

1992: GAO ISSUES REPORT ENTITILED, “ PL 103-452, Veterans Health Program Extension Act, enacted With landmark legislation with $7.5 million

Authorized VA to provide gender-specific services and general reproductive health care and sexual trauma counseling to eligible women veterans

Eight Women’s Comprehensive Centers were authorized in Boston, Philadelphia, Durham, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tampa, Minneapolis, and Chicago

4 Regional Women Coordinators positions mandated

1993: VA established a new division within the National Center for PTSD devoted to studying the impact of military trauma on women veterans

1994: The Center for Women Veterans established

1997: Military sexual trauma services were expanded for all veterans including reservists called to Active Duty

1998: Guidelines for primary care services to women established 1999: Uniform eligibility package includes maternity and infertility services The first homeless grants for women veterans awarded VISN Women Veterans Coordinators appointed in each network

2000: Legislation passed awarding “special monthly” compensation- K supplemental compensation for women undergoing mastectomy in the military

Legislation passed expanding eligibility to women who served in Vietnam who have children with birth defects

2002: Six clinical programs of Excellence in Women’s Health awarded in Alexandria, Boston, Bay Pines, Durham, Pittsburgh and San Antonio

2003: Women Veterans Coordinators title changed to Women Veterans Program Manager with the publication of VHA Handbook, “Women Veterans Program Manager Position” WVHP Internet website launched 2004: A Supportive Indicator for screening Osteoporosis in Post menopausal Women was developed in partnership with the Office of Quality and Perfprmance

2005: As of FY 2005 we have over 379, 549 women veterans enrolled in VA’s health care system. Of this number there were approximately 56,258 OIF/OEF female veterans as of 1st qtr. FY 2006. VA Medical Centers offers General Health care to women veterans, i.e. Primary Care, Breast health and mammograms, infertility services, maternity care, mid-life and menopause issues, osteoporosis, wellness and health living, nutrition and weight management, cancer screenings, and GYN care. We also offer Mental Health Services that includes: management of depression, return and adjustment from deployment, MST Counseling, substance abuse treatment, family and parenting issues, counseling for interpersonal violence, job and career counseling and medication treatment. We also offer services for the homeless, vocational rehabilitation, employment opportunities, compensated work therapy and Managing Obesity in Veterans Everywhere. The Women Veterans Health Program continues to make great strides in the advance and delivery of health care and sometimes our Nation has to be reminded of its obligation to these women veterans.

Our women veterans served with distinction and with courage. When they come to VA, we need to understand that we must treat them fairly in the administration of benefits, with professional care and compassion when we provide care, and with dignity and honor when they take their final resting place. Our women veterans are proud to have served our Nation yesterday ---equally proud are those who serve today.

We are proud to be your servants in VA. We know that in standing up to you today, we are playing a pivotal role in America’s future. For if we keep the promise to moms and dads, grandmothers, and grandfathers, who served on yesterday, then their sons and daughters, and grandchildren will surely stand up for America on tomorrow.

Thank you and may God continue to bless each of you.