Milwaukee VA sets first women-only town hall
A telephone town hall exclusively for female Veterans will take place 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Aug. 18.
Sorry, guys – this one is for women only.
The Milwaukee VA Medical Center is hosting its first telephone town hall exclusively for female Veterans on Wednesday, Aug. 18.
The one-hour event begins at 4:30 p.m. Calls will go out to some 5,000 female Veterans in the Milwaukee-Green Bay area asking them to take part.
Notices have already gone out to community groups and organizations, and interest in the event is high, said Katie Wisniewski, manager of the Women Veteran Program at the Milwaukee VA.
“A lot of people are anticipating this,” she said. “I’ve gotten a lot of calls, and they’re looking forward to interacting.”
One of the main goals of the forum, Wisniewski said, is to get feedback from female Veterans.
“We want to know what we need to work on, how things are going and to let them know what benefits we offer,” Wisniewski said. “I’m finding a lot of Veterans aren’t even aware of the great benefits we have here at the VA.
“Our female population is growing a lot , and we have a lot of benefits tailored specifically for them,” she said, noting that staff members are also focusing on female-centric programs and services.
While the forum will be open to questions on any topics, a panel of experts in specific areas will be on hand:
- Breast cancer risk assessment clinic: Dr. Amy Farkas
- Transgender clinic: Dr. Jamie Buth
- Sexual health clinic: Dr. Akeira Johnson
- Pelvic floor therapy: Jen Garrison, physical therapist
- Intimate Partner Violence program: Andrea Knowlton
In addition, Dr. Javeria Haque, an infectious diseases doctor, will provide the latest information on COVID-19.
The goal is to have female Veteran town halls twice a year to accompany focus groups that will meet four times a year, Wisniewski said.
In addition, Milwaukee VA is doing more outreach in the community and connecting with groups that aid female Veterans.
“With COVID, it was hard to make connections, but we’re going to be doing a lot more outreach in the near future,” Wisniewski said. “You will start to see the VA name for female health come through a lot in the next year or two.”
While the number of women entering the military continues to increase, women account for about 16% of the total force, according to a Brookings Institute study from May 2020.
Despite the imbalance, Wisniewski said the Milwaukee VA wants to make sure all female Veterans feel welcome to seek services and to take advantage of the many specialized programs.
“We have so many great staff here who will do anything to make you feel comfortable, appreciated and welcome,” Wisniewski said. “All it takes is a phone call, and we will get you anything you need to navigate the system. You’ll never be alone here.”
Anyone with questions about services the Milwaukee VA provides for female Veterans can contact Wisniewski at 414-384-2000, ext. 45795.
“We’re open to any questions or concerns Veterans have,” Wisniewski said.
