VA New Jersey Health Care System

Women Veterans

Eligibility Criteria

Women veterans who have received an honorable or general under honorable discharge from the military may be eligible for care. Usually there is no charge if you receive care for a service-connected disability, have CHAMPVA, have recently separated from the military, or if your income is below a certain amount. A DD214 or a VA medical card from any VA Medical Center will be necessary at the time of registration. Women's Health Services are also provided at our Community Based Outpatient Clinics.

About the Program

The Women Veterans Health Care Program is an integral part of the VA New Jersey Health Care System (VANJHCS) and the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN2). While we offer services and programs that meet the needs of all Veterans, we pay special attention to women veterans. Our focus is on health promotion, disease prevention and management, and the emotional wellbeing of women Veterans.

Our goal is to present diverse and innovative programs that care for, educate, and support our patients during all phases of their lives. Our patient Education Resource Center (PERC) is available at the East Orange and Lyons campuses to provide you with the most current health resources.

Our Mission

We are committed to providing accessible and comprehensive health care of the highest quality to women Veterans in a safe, comfortable, and private setting. We are determined to be responsive to gender-specific needs by making available or arranging for all authorized services for women Veterans.

Services

The following services are available throughout the VANJHCS, VISN 2, but may vary from site to site. We invite you to take advantage of our special programs for women Veterans. Your active and vocal participation in the health care process is important to our success. We value the opinions of Veterans and want to listen and respond to your health care concerns. Our Women Veterans Program Manager (WVPM), Janine Decker, is available to assist you.

Service Provided:

Preventive Health Screening

• Breast and Pelvic Exams
• Cancer Screenings including colonoscopies, pap smear and mammography*
• Heart Disease screening including cholesterol and blood pressure screening
• Osteoporosis screening and treatment
• Smoking Cessation
• Weight Management
• Contraceptive management

Treatment

• Gynecological disorders/procedures
• Urinary Incontinence
• Military Sexual Trauma
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Menopause
• Maternity/prenatal care*
• Infertility Work-up and treatment*
• Substance and sexual abuse counseling
• Anxiety and Depression treatment
• Chronic medical conditions
• Pain Management
• Integrative Medicine
  
• Acupuncture/Yoga
• Home Telehealth

Supportive Services

• Social Work
• Physical Therapy
• Nutritional Counseling
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Mental Health
• Family Planning
• Maternity Care Coordination

*These services are provided through our Non VA Care Program with our Community Partners.

Our Women Veterans Program Manager advises and advocates for women Veterans. She can help coordinate all the services you may need, from primary care to specialized care for chronic conditions or reproductive health. VA health care for women Veterans includes:

Comprehensive Health Care

Comprehensive care for women Veterans is defined as care by a women’s health primary care provider who is interested and proficient in women’s health and can provide equitable primary care and gender-specific care to women Veterans. This includes access to primary care, gender-specific care, specialty care (cardiology, endocrinology, orthopedics, etc.), and mental health care in the context of a continuous patient-clinician relationship. Women’s Health Primary Care Providers are located at all VANJHCS sites including Outpatient Clinics, centrally located throughout New Jersey. We offer evening and Saturday appointments at most locations.

Mental Health Services

Mental health services include evaluation and assistance for issues such as depression, mood, and anxiety disorders; intimate partner and domestic violence; sexual trauma; elder abuse or neglect; parenting and anger management; marital, caregiver, or family-related stress; and post-deployment adjustment or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Military Sexual Trauma (MST)

Women, and men as well, may experience repeated sexual harassment or sexual assault during their military service. Special services are available to women who have experienced MST. VA provides free, confidential counseling and treatment for mental and physical health conditions related to MST. More information is available about MST from the national Women Veterans Health Care program and the VHA Office of Mental Health.

Specialty Care

Management and screening of chronic conditions includes heart disease, diabetes, cancer, glandular disorders, osteoporosis, and fibromyalgia as well as sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. Reproductive health care includes maternity care, infertility evaluation and limited treatment*; sexual problems, tubal ligation*, urinary incontinence, gynecological disorders, and others. Rehabilitation and long-term care. VA offers services to those in need of rehabilitation therapies such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, exercise therapy, recreational therapy, blind rehabilitation, and vocational therapy. Rural Health Program provides comprehensive primary care medical services in the comfort of your own home. Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) is targeted to Veteran who have complex health care needs for whom routine clinic-based care is not effective and for those who have difficulty getting to the clinic. Long term care and HBPC are limited to those meeting specific requirements.

For Women Veterans, VA is Here

Women Veteran Program Managers are available at each VA Medical Center nationwide to assist women Veterans and coordinate services. Women Veterans who are interested in receiving care at VA should contact the nearest VA Medical Center.

Women Veterans are assigned to a designated Women’s Health Primary Care Provider who can provide general primary care and is specially trained or experienced in women’s care.

Whole Health - It's All About You

VA’s Whole Health System offers women Veterans proactive and personalized health care—empowering you to achieve your greatest level of health and well-being. Whole Health means the Whole You. From integrative health approaches like stress reduction, nutrition, and health coaching, to traditional clinical care and complementary health approaches—your journey to Whole Health starts here.

Well-Being Programs

Proactive, integrative health approaches such as:

• Health coaching
• Mind-body therapies and stress reduction
• Mindfulness
• Nutrition and weight management
• Peer support and community resources
• Programs to stop spoking
• Physical therapy and chiropractic services

General Health

You will be at the center of a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). A provider, nurse, and others will engage with you to manage your health care.

• Primary care: includes general medical care for acute and chronic conditions, such as chronic pain, high blood pressure, and diabetes
• Preventive care: includes immunizations and cancer screenings, such as mammogram, Pap, and colonoscopy
• Gender-specific care
• Birth control
• Family planning and preconception counseling
• Maternity and newborn care (first 7 days after birth)
• Osteoporosis screening and management

Gynecology Health Services

Evaluation and treatment for:

• Abnormal Pap test
• Abnormal uterine bleeding
• Infertility
• Pelvic pain
• Gynecologic cancers

Mental Health

Evaluation, counseling, and treatment for:

• Depression, mood, and anxiety disorders
• Alcohol and drug use and addiction
• Coping with illness
• Intimate partner violence/sexual and domestic abuse
• Military sexual trauma (MST)
• Parenting and caregiver concerns
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Stress adjustment from deployment

Specialty Care

• Management of chronic or complex conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and fibromyalgia, as well as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis
• Surgery programs available at most Medical Centers
• Rehabilitation, homebound, and long-term care VA referrals are given to those in need of rehabilitation therapies, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy

VA referrals are given to those in need of rehabilitation therapies, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, exercise therapy, recreational therapy, and vocational therapy.