Nearly 700 participants to attend Fifth National Summit on Women Veterans' Issues

Over 700 participants plan to attend the Fifth National Summit on Women Veterans' Issues scheduled July 16-17 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki will give remarks to open the summit this Saturday, which will focus on expanding outreach to women Veterans and increasing awareness of the enhanced VA benefits and services available to them.

"With more women serving in our armed forces than ever before, this summit is an opportunity to exchange ideas and focus attention on the issues and concerns unique to women Veterans," Shinseki said. "Today, there are over 1.8 million women Veterans of all eras and one of VA's highest priorities is to continue to expand our services and outreach to ensure they receive the care and benefits they have earned."

This is the first time VA will provide targeted training, education, and collaborative cross training for its staff responsible for providing services and benefits specifically to women Veterans and their families. Participants include: women Veterans, women Veteran advocates from across the nation, active duty women service members (to include those in the Reserves and National Guard) VA employees who provide care to women Veterans, and representatives from a multitude of Veterans service organizations and nonprofit agencies. VA Medical Centers employ women Veterans program managers; community-based outpatient clinics employ a women's liaison; and VA regional offices employ a women Veterans coordinator.

"The number of women Veterans using VA health care has doubled in the last decade," said Patricia Hayes, chief consultant of VA's Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group. "This training, coupled with direct feedback from women Veterans, will enable VA to continue to enhance health care and services to meet their needs."