WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The American Legion has issued its report on the quality of health care for women veterans at 15 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers across the country.

Key findings of the Legions report include the fact that many former women servicemembers do not identify themselves as veterans, many VA medical centers lack long-term health care plans for women veterans, and VA facilities often have no inpatient or residential mental health programs for women veterans.

We found one case in which a woman veteran in Colorado had to fly to Coatesville, Pa., just to receive her mental-health care, said Verna Jones, director of the Legions Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation (VA & R) Division. Many women who have served in uniform may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma or depression. VA will be treating many more women veterans in the future, and it needs to make access to mental-health services for women one of its top priorities.

The 2013 Task Force Report on Women Veterans Health Care, released to the public on Sept. 17, is based on site visits by the Legions System Worth Saving (SWS) Task Force to VA facilities in Buffalo, N.Y.; Augusta, Maine; Fargo, N.D.; Chicago; Tampa, Fla., Erie and Coatesville, Pa.; Dublin, Ga.; Salem, Va.; Las Vegas; Tuscaloosa, Ala.; San Antonio; Texas; Madison, Wis.; Spokane, Wash.; and St. Cloud, Minn.

During these visits, SWS task force members and American Legion field service representatives interviewed each facilitys leadership and staff on the delivery of health care for women veterans.

The reports objectives were to understand what perceptions and barriers prevent women veterans from enrolling in VA health care, determine what challenges women veterans face with their health care, and provide recommendations that VA can take to improve access to health care for women veterans.

Challenges and recommendations from the Legions report include:

Recommendation: VA should develop a customized women veterans health benefits track to assist in making them aware of benefits available to them.

Recommendation: VA should consider implementing baseline facility enrollment and unique women veterans seen as percentage goals in relation to the facilitys catchment area.

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American Legion Issues Report on VA Health Care for Women Veterans