Veterans' hospitals vary in treating females, probe finds

By Adam Levine
CNN
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities do not consistently offer the level of services and infrastructure necessary to properly treat the growing number of female veterans, a new government investigation concludes.

The report by the Government Accountability Office found wide variation in the medical centers' facilities and programs for women veterans.

Investigators visited 18 veterans' facilities and found basic services, like pelvic examinations, were being provided and patients had access to female providers for gender-specific care. But the facilities were lacking in some simpler accommodations, including configuration of exam rooms and privacy in check-in areas.

The department says it is taking comprehensive steps to improve, including programs for primary care and mental health care for women veterans, along with having a women veterans' program manager in each of its medical facilities.

But Veterans Affairs faces hurdles in its efforts to improve its services and facilities, the department's chief consultant for women's medical care said Tuesday in testimony to Congress.

"Moving to a more comprehensive primary care delivery model could challenge VA clinicians, who may have dealt predominately with male veterans and sometimes have little or no exposure to female patients," said Patricia Hayes of the department's Women's Veterans Health Strategic Healthcare Group.