The Virginia Women’s Health Re-engagement Training Team (heaRT) is on a mission to share information about women’s health services available in Virginia.
VA Women’s heaRT discusses how to apply for and use VA health care to educate women veterans about the VA health care they have earned and deserve. Here are seven things you need to know about training:
1. VA Women’s heaRT was developed for women veterans by women veterans
The VA is no longer “your grandfather’s VA.” As the needs of veterans change and evolve, VA is committed to meeting those needs. The VA Women’s heaRT program is designed for women veterans with input from women veterans and in collaboration with VA subject matter experts to create a personalized and personalized learning experience for all attendees.
2. All female veterans are welcome!
All women veterans, including women not enrolled in VA health care and women veterans enrolled in VA health care but interested in learning more, are welcome to attend a VA Women’s heaRT session. No matter where you are in your VA health care journey, you’ll leave a VA Women’s heaRT session confident in your abilities to use the VA health care benefits you’ve earned.
3. VA Women’s heaRT is required training for all women veterans
Female veterans are the fastest growing veteran population and are expected to account for 2.2 million members of the veteran population by 2026. Currently, only 44% of female veterans are enrolled in VA health care, which is 8% less than male veterans veterans. Women veterans have unique physical, mental and spiritual needs that can be met through VA health care. Visiting VA Women’s heaRT gives women veterans the tools to navigate VA health care and seek support for their specific health needs.
4. Women Veterans will leave VA Women’s heaRT with the skills to navigate VA health care
Through this one-time, four-hour training session, women veterans will learn how the VA is structured, what women’s and veterans’ health services are available to them, and how to enroll in VA health care. Each training session features women veterans who use VA health care and who, in most cases, is a Women Veterans Program Manager (WVPM) who can answer questions about how to seek specific health care services. Resources and support for women veterans don’t stop at the end of training; all participants leave the training session with the knowledge of how to contact their local WVPM and a handbook to help them enroll and navigate VA health care.
5. VA Women’s heaRT is a safe community space for women veterans
This women-only training prioritizes creating a space where women can have personal conversations and connect through shared experiences. Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts and perspectives on their time in the military and seeking health care after transitioning from the military. Fellow participants said the training was “so informative” and that it was “good to be with other women who have served and understand the nuances of the military.”
6. Training sessions are available nationwide
The VA Women’s heaRT program this year offers virtual and in-person trainings. Forty sessions will be offered virtually and can be accessed from anywhere in the country. Five in-person sessions will be offered this season, with locations across the country including Las Vegas; Tulsa, Arizona; Nashville, Tennessee; Sacramento, California; and Seattle. Training sessions are available on many dates and times to accommodate different time zones and personal schedules.
7. Register for training on the VA Women’s HeaRT website
Visit the VA Women’s heaRT website to register for a workout today!