Lawmaker urges better treatment of women vets

Lawmaker urges better treatment of women vets
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday May 21, 2008 18:51:55 EDT

When Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., asked Veterans Affairs Department officials about her bill to provide better health care for female combat veterans, they brought up several concerns:

• Providing child care for women seeking mental health counseling could take away from direct care for VA patients.

• There’s no need for a study of female veterans’ needs because VA is already working on one.

• Staffing requirements for health care workers who can handle military sexual trauma would force VA to take a “cookie-cutter” approach.

But at a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday, four veteran’s groups provided their support for just those provisions.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/military_womenveterans_052108w/