VA Maryland Health Care System

She Served, She Deserves… The VA Maryland Health Care System Salutes Women Veterans

March is Women’s History Month, and the VA Maryland Health Care System honors the essential roles women have been playing in the United States armed forces since 1775. Military women have made great contributions and achieved stellar accomplishments in service to our nation throughout history, and the numbers of women in the military are steadily increasing.

Today, women represent about 14 percent of our nation’s returning Veterans, and they are well represented among all ranks in each branch of service and all career fields. Because the percentage of women in the military has doubled in the last 30 years, women Veterans compose one of the fastest growing subpopulations of Veterans, second only to elderly Veterans. Today, of the 23.4 million Veterans, 1.8 million are women, and the population is projected to increase to nearly 2 million by 2020. In Maryland, of approximately 484,013 Veterans, 47,276 are women.

“The VA Maryland Health Care System is dedicated to meeting the needs of all veterans throughout Maryland,” said Dennis H. Smith, director of the VA Maryland Health Care System. “During March, however, we want to ensure that women Veterans throughout the state are aware of their eligibility for VA health care and the specialized services available for them through our Women Veterans Health Care Program.”

Some women have left their children, husbands, and loved ones, deploying on orders when actively serving. This sacrifice is like no other, and VA is committed to honoring that service by increasing funding for women’s health care programs by nearly 20 million in 2011. “We at the VA Maryland Health Care System want to take a moment to thank our women Veterans for their service and sacrifice on behalf of our nation, to show our gratitude for their efforts in ensuring the protection and safety of all citizens,” said Smith said.

To serve the growing number of women Veterans, the VA Maryland Health Care System’s Women Veterans Health Care Program has been expanded to include longer hours, including same-day, urgent and Saturday appointments. Women Veterans can seek health care service at every VA facility throughout the state. Each medical center and outpatient clinic has a woman Veteran program manager available to assist women Veterans with their special needs and concerns. The VA Maryland Health Care System also offers a comprehensive health care plan that spans the range of all women’s needs from mental health to primary care and gynecologic services.

To find out more about the Women Veteran’s Health Care Program, please call the Baltimore VA Medical Center Women’s Clinic at 1-800-463-6295, extension 4981, or the Perry Point VA Medical Center Women’s Clinic at 1-800-949-1003, ext. 5768. To make an appointment for Women’s Health or Primary Care, call 1-800-463-6295, ext. 7333. To enroll for VA health care, call the Enrollment Center for the VA Maryland Health Care System at 1-800-463-6295, ext. 7324.

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