Milwaukee VA Medical Center opens new Women's Health Clinic to meet growing number of female veterans
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — The former kitchen space at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center has been transformed into a dedicated sector for women's health care.
It's a timely transition as the United States now has more female veterans than ever before.
"This is just a boulder we've been pushing up-hill, and we're so proud it finally came to fruition," said Melissa Johnston, women veterans program manager at the Milwaukee VA.
Wednesday marked the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Women's Health Clinic.
Room 1400 inside the hospital now leads to 6,000 square-ft. of exam rooms with state-of-the-art equipment, prepared to serve their approximately 2,000 female patients.
The space also includes private bathrooms and a lactation room.
"We like to provide a safe space where they can have their own waiting room, address women-specific needs, we have gynecological services," Johnston said. "Historically we just didn't have that."
The plan has been in the works for over a decade, and in that time, the demand has skyrocketed.
"They are our largest and fastest growing minority population here at the VA," said Katie Gavinski, the women's health medical director.
More than two million U.S. veterans are women, making up around 11% of the veteran population.
The federal Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that will jump to 18% by 2040.
"The numbers speak for themselves, the female veterans are here and they're not going anywhere," Johnston said.
The Milwaukee VA previously added more women's health providers to meet the need for various age groups.
"We provide a full spectrum of car -- from fertility in our younger female veterans, up to menopausal care in our older female veterans," Gavinski explained.
The new Women's Health Clinic puts primary care, mental health, pharmacy, and gynecology services all in one place.
"We have tons of providers here who are all trained and specialized in caring for female veterans, which I think is super important," said Stefanie Shierk, the hospital's acting manager of primary care. "That's one of the reasons why I choose to get my care here."
Shierk is both a nurse and a Milwaukee VA patient.
"When I first moved back from the military, I didn't even know the VA existed," she explained. "Through my educational benefits, I happened to do some clinical time here and just fell in love."
The Air Force vet wants the new clinic to encourage more women like her to seek VA services.
"I hope that in this new space, they feel welcomed and they recognize that we prioritize their care and wellbeing," she said.
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