In recent years women have played an increasing role in our
military. 
In fact, women make up
fourteen percent of today’s Armed Forces.
Despite the increasing presence of women in the military, they remain a
small minority at the VA. However, the
number of women using Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care is
predicted to increase dramatically in the near future.
It is essential that the VA prepare for this influx of women
veterans. After holding several roundtable
conversations throughout Washington
state, Senator Murray was approached by several women veterans who expressed
frustration with the VA’s lack of ability to understand and address the
specific needs of women veterans. The
government needs to ensure that women get equal access to VA health care
benefits and services, and that the VA health care system is tailored to meet
the unique needs of women veterans. That
is why Senator Murray introduced the Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act,
which will expand and improve healthcare services for women veterans in the VA
system.
Senator Murray led the effort to pass into law the Women
Veterans Health Care Improvement Act in the 111th Congress. This bill will require the VA to
comprehensively assess the effectiveness of VA services and programs for women
veterans and to submit a plan on how the VA will address the health care needs
of women. It will also require the VA to
conduct a study on the health consequences for women veterans who served in the
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Finally, it will authorize the VA to provide
neonatal care, train mental health professionals to provide mental health
services for sexual trauma, develop a child care pilot program, and staff each
VA medical center with a full-time women veterans’ program manager.