This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Implementation of women's health providers found successful in VA

Designated women’s health providers are now available among all Veterans Health Administration primary care systems, according to a recently published study.

“[Veterans Health Administration] created policy in 2010 to improve comprehensive primary care for women. One of the central goals highlighted in this policy was that all VHA facilities would now have designated [women’s health] comprehensive [primary care practitioners].VHA has achieved its goal,” Natalya C. Maisel, PhD, Women’s Health Evaluation Initiative at VA Palo Alto Health Care System, and colleagues wrote.

Researchers surveyed women veterans program managers at all 140 Veterans Health Administration (VHA) health care systems to assess the number of designated women’s health (WH) providers across the system. 

In the 2012 fiscal year, of the 8,432 VHA PCPs, 23% were designated WH providers. At least one designed WH provider was found in 100% of health care systems and in 83% of community clinics.

Overall, women veterans represented 19% of the patients seen by designated WH providers, compared with only 5% for other PCPs (P < .001).

Among all women veterans using primary care (n = 313,033), designated WH providers were more often seen by established women veteran patients (64%) compared with new patients (52%) (P < .001). 

“Designated WH providers saw more women than did other PCPs, but as volume of women patients remained low for many, attention to alternative approaches to maintain proficiency may prove necessary,” Maisel and colleagues wrote. – by Casey Hower

Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.