VA Provides Services Tailored to the Needs of Women Veterans

In 1993, the US Secretary for Health appointed a committee to develop more comprehensive guidelines for women veterans' health care services, and this led to a nationwide initiative establishing designated Women's Health Clinics in all VA health care centers.

In 1994, the Women’s Health Clinic at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee was opened to serve the physical, medical and mental health needs of more than 800 women veterans. The Clinic’s health care teams consist of physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers, dieticians and psychologists. Each facility also has a designated nurse or social worker who serves as a Women Veterans Coordinator.

Dr. Jennifer Zebrack, Assistant Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine) at the Medical College of Wisconsin, serves as the Clinic’s Medical Director. In this capacity her role involves overseeing the administrative, clinical and teaching aspects of the clinic. Dr. Zebrack hopes to strengthen the women’s health education programs for residents and students at the clinic while continuing to provide the excellent, high-quality care that our veterans have come to expect.

Team Approach to Women Veterans’ Special Needs
“We take a team approach to the care of our patients.” says Dr. Zebrack. “We offer very comprehensive care, and we have a staff that includes not only physicians, but also dieticians, social workers, and pharmacists to serve the special needs of our veterans.” An added benefit is the clinic’s focus on women, Dr. Zebrack explains. “Because it’s a clinic that is geared specifically toward female veterans, women’s health is our primary focus.” For example, if a woman has experienced any psychological effects from serving as a veteran, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, or service-related anxiety, the staff at the Women’s Clinic is able to treat those conditions as well or better than clinics in the private sector. In addition, the Women’s Clinic offers treatment for victims of sexual trauma and domestic abuse and also provides mental health screenings.

The Women’s Health Clinic provides specialized care for women with needs related to service-connected disabilities like gunshot wounds, shrapnel, frostbite and musculoskeletal injuries, and the chronic pain associated with them. The clinic also offers treatment of any problems related to the Persian Gulf War or Agent Orange exposure.

Many Ages, One Goal
“We have a wide range of ages among our patients, from young women to World War I veterans,” says Dr. Zebrack. “But all women receive comprehensive primary care services. Many women come to the clinic for preventive care, including yearly pelvic exams and Pap smears, and we also order mammograms, bone density testing, and other screenings. For other women, the issue is management of chronic problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.”

Special Emphasis on Patient Education
“Patient education is a very important aspect of the clinic’s focus,” reports Dr. Zebrack. The Women’s Clinic also offers special educational days to bring its clients up to date on health and medical issues of particular interest to women, for example, on Saturday, May 10, the clinic will host “Salute to Women Veterans: Celebrating You and Your Health.” The day’s program includes a keynote speaker, small group sessions and booths offering information on women’s health and Veterans Administration services.

Excellence in Clinical Research and Education
Many staff members of the Milwaukee VA Medical Center are also faculty members at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and the VA serves as one of the clinical rotations for medical students, interns and residents of the College. "It's an important educational experience for residents and students alike," notes Dr. Zebrack.

In addition to its educational focus, the clinic serves as a site of clinical research. It also has a full-time nurse practitioner, Kathy Breunig, NP, and its own designated nursing staff. Specialty services include a gynecology clinic, provided by E. James Aiman, MD, Professor of Obstetrics-Gynecology, and surgical breast consultation, provided by Philip Redlich, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Surgery (Surgical Oncology). Other general internal medicine teaching faculty at the site include Mary Ann Gilligan, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine (General Internal); Susan Davids, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine (General Internal); and former Medical Director Marilyn M. Schapira, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine (General Internal).

The Milwaukee VA has 182 acute-care operating beds, a 136-bed nursing home care unit, and a 378-bed setting that includes the Sobriety Living Unit, the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder/Substance Use Disorder Unit, and the Homeless Veterans Program. Other specialty services include ambulatory surgery, prosthetic treatment, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cardiac surgery and a full range of extended care programs. The facility also serves as a referral center for spinal cord injury and radiation therapy. The Medical Center is the VA Great Lakes Health Care System's northern tier hub for both imaging and for pathology and laboratory medicine.

The Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center and Clinics provides health care to over 35,000 veterans in eastern and central Wisconsin. The VA’s 1,900-person workforce includes 112 physicians and 513 nursing staff. Nearly 700 volunteers are actively involved with Milwaukee VA's programs and clinics.

Depending on a patient’s insurance coverage and the services or treatment given, the VA Women’s Health Clinic is often able to offer medical care and prescriptions at a lower cost than other facilities.

P.J. Early
HealthLink Contributing Writer

This article includes information from:
The Women’s Health Clinic at Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center
5000 West National Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53295
414-384-2000

MCW Health News presents up-to-date information on patient care and medical research by the physicians of the Medical College of Wisconsin.