Lioness Blog

LIONESS screened at the VA's July 29th Forum on Women Veterans at the Women's Memorial in Arlington, VA, a one-day event which is part of VA's efforts to continually enhance and promote services for today's female veterans' community. Speaking to a capacity crowd, Secretary Shinseki said, "Over time, changes in warfighting doctrine dictate changes about where women serve within the battlespace and the kinds of mission they are handed...So it becomes the VA's challenge to anticipate those changes."

Secretary Shinseki speaks with BrigGen Wilma Vaught (ret.), President of WIMSA, Dr. Betty Moseley Brown, Associate Director of the Center for Women Veterans, and Dr. Irene Trowell-Harris, Director of the Center for Women Veterans.

On July 23rd, the New Mexico Department of Veterans' Services screened LIONESS at the Henderson Fine Arts Center of San Juan College as part of its Four Corners Women Veterans' Conference. Conference organizer, Charlotte Atso said her goal was to reach out to Native American women veterans, especially Navajo and Hopi, "since we are so close to many reservations in the area. That is something I really had my heart set on doing." In addition to screening LIONESS, the short film IN REMEMBRANCE: LORI ANN PIESTEWA (a LIONESS DVD extra) was also screened.

Women Veterans Coordinator Charlotte Atso addresses attendees before screening.

Last week we wrote an op ed for the New York Times "Room for Debate" blog:

http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/08/should-more-veterans-get-p-t-s-d-benefits

On May 6th, the third of nine "Issues of Women Returning from Combat" training workshops was held at WakeMed Hospital's Andrews Conference Center in Raleigh, NC. The curriculum, based on selected excerpts of LIONESS, is designed to train civilian and rural healthcare providers on the gender-specific needs of women veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. This innovative program was created by the North Carolina AHEC and the Citizen Soldier Support Program which is hosted by UNC's Odum Institute.

On May 5, President Obama signed into law Senator Patty Murray's (D-WA) comprehensive bi-partisan legislation to prepare the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the influx of women veterans who will access care there in the coming years. The law will address many of the unique needs of female veterans, particularly those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The 2009 March 31st screening of LIONESS on Capitol Hill helped launch the women veterans bill, which was included in S. 1963, The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010. Below, Senator Murray announces her legislation with from left, Lionesses Staff Sgt. Ranie Ruthig and Major Anastasia Breslow.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/improving-health-care-veterans

Shannon Morgan will speak to three different audiences at the VA's "Patient Centered Medical Home" Conference and share her experiences seeking care at the VA as a woman combat veteran. Taking place in Las Vegas from April 12th through the 16th, the conference will be attended by over 3,000 VA healthcare providers.