News
Huge Growth in Businesses Owned by Women Veterans
Monday, February 1, 2016 | Category: Business - National
Since 2007, the National Women's Business Council's data reflects that in the United States there are 384,548 veteran women-owned businesses, an increase of 296% compared to a 7.7% increase in veteran men-owned businesses. The Council reported $19.97 billion in receipts, a 26.3% increase since 2007, 96.7% were non-employer firms with averaged receipts of $19,121, and 3.3% have paid employees totaling 107,542 with an annual payroll of $3.71 billion and averaged receipts of $1,001,950.
Women Vets Upset About V.A. Hospitals
Monday, February 1, 2016 | Category: Health Care - Florida
Two women veterans in Sarasota, Florida share their concerns regarding Department of Veterans Affairs care to include the lengthy times to process paperwork and secure appointments. Investigative reporters noted a Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General report in which nearly 42,000 veteran records were kept in disarray at a contracted facility. The VA Chief of Primary Care offered that women veterans are their fastest growing cohort.
Female Veteran on the Brink of Homelessness Gets Help
Monday, February 1, 2016 | Category: Housing/Experiencing Homelessness - National
A Navy veteran found herself at risk of homelessness, a situation she never imagined herself in after serving as an aircraft controller in the Navy, an experience she enjoyed and was proud of. She said the transition out of the military was not as easy as she thought it would be and she thinks her pride got in the way of asking for help, but after receiving housing assistance and other support from Interfaith Community Services in Escondido, California, she is back on track with housing and employment. Interfaith's Executive Director says he serves more homeless women veterans than ever before--20 to 20 percent of the veterans he serves are women. He finds that providing the women with housing gives them the stability they need to move forward.
Lottery Set-aside Fund Would Benefit Vets
Saturday, January 30, 2016 | Category: State Veteran Affairs - Oregon
Representative Paul L. Evans of Monmouth, Oregon represents House District 20. He is an advocate for education and employment assistance, mental health care services, affordable housing, and transportation for veterans. The Oregon Legislature added nearly $1 million for County Veterans Service Officers and established a dedicated women veterans' coordinator position in 2015. He is now sponsoring legislation for a 3 percent set-aside of Oregon Lottery profits to access federal funds with the goal of leveraging potential partnerships that could tap into as much as $4 billion in dedicated veterans’ assistance not currently being used by veterans and military families.
Military Fertility: It's Complicated
Thursday, January 28, 2016 | Category: Health Care - National
Dr. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie,a retired colonel and forensic psychiatrist who specializes in military, veterans and women's health issues, advocates for the military to better educate servicemembers on birth control during basic training as well as counseling women on long-term birth control options. While some contraception is available to women and men, access to it can be challenging stateside, before deployment, and during deployment. Additionally, for families with trouble conceiving, fertility preservation is not a service offered by the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs. "Serving Our Veterans" is a network of fertility clinics offering "deeply discounted" care to veterans whose service-related injuries impaired their fertility. To find a clinic, visit the "Service for Assisted Reproductive Technology Service to Veteran List."
Supervisors Pass Plan Expanding Veteran Health Care
Thursday, January 28, 2016 | Category: Health Care - California
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors passed an agreement with TriWest Healthcare Alliance to expand military veterans' access to health care. This decision was made knowing that the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Choice Program opened the door for preapproved non-VA care for veterans who face long wait times (more than 30 days) or live more than 40 miles from the nearest VA medical facilities.
Nation's Oldest Female Veteran Dies at Age 108
Thursday, January 28, 2016 | Category: History/Heritage - National
On January 27, 2016, Alyce Dixon, died at 108 years old. She was the nation's oldest female veteran who was one of the first African-American women to serve overseas in the U.S. Army. Ms. Dixon joined the Army in 1943, serving in Scotland, England, and France in the only African-American women's unit--the U.S. Army's 6888th Postal Battalion--during World War II. On September 21, 2014, the Department of Veterans Affairs named her "Veteran of the Day."
Women Warriors Have Special Health Needs, Researchers Report
Thursday, January 28, 2016 | Category: Health Care - National
In 1993, the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) initiated surveys and questionnaires to 3,700 women veterans and over 158,000 non-veteran women and continued to collect data over the following 20 years. The WHI study, "Older Women Veterans in the Women’s Health Initiative," results indicate that "women veterans are more at risk for lower life satisfaction, lung cancer, cognitive decline and hip fractures than non-veteran women." Additionally, they indicated "lower levels of self-perceived health, life satisfaction, social support, physical function and quality of life than their non-veteran counterparts and are more likely to reside in a residential living facility and were far less likely to have ever married.”
PRLI Set to Lead Camp Resilience for Women Veterans in the Area
Wednesday, January 27, 2016 | Category: Combat - New Hampshire
Camp Resilience, of the Lakes Region, New Hampshire, non-profit Patriot Resilient Leader Institute plans to conduct its second all-female veterans' session in Gilford next week. PRLI founder and retired Army veteran Kurt Webber stated that their experience has been that women veterans can benefit greatly from sharing experiences with other women veterans in a single-sex environment.
Kentucky Women Veterans Unite! 2016
Wednesday, January 27, 2016 | Category: Department of Veterans Affairs - Kentucky
The state's "Kentucky Women Veterans Unite!" initiative will continue in 2106. Outreach events for Kentucky's 24,000 women veterans, including regional conferences in Eastern and Western Kentucky, are planned. An event calendar is posted on the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs website along with articles of statewide articles.