She Wears the Boots: A Podcast for Women Veterans
For podcast fans, there is a VA podcast that is dedicated to recognizing of the unique needs of women Veterans. She Wears the Boots, a podcast from the Veterans Health Administration Office of Women’s Health, offers veterans resources and services in the VA that can foster resiliency and health.
She Wears the Boots: A Podcast for Women Veterans is an official VA sponsored podcast that focuses on topics relevant to Servicewomen and women Veterans. The goal of this podcast is to enhance the lives of women Veterans by sharing information on women’s health care services offered through VA.
All episodes are created for Veterans but employees and family members of Veterans may benefit from listening as well. Each episode is around 15-20 minutes long so they can be digested in one sitting. New episodes come out about once a month. Several foundational episodes were recorded at the beginning of the series in 2020 while more recent topics focus on health care topics that might be of specific interest to women Veterans. Our most popular health focused topics to date are on Military Exposures, Musculoskeletal Health in Women, Sexual Health, and Menopause.
Wendy Fahlgren, the podcast host, is the Women Veterans Program Manager at the Iowa City VA. When asked to describe what she loves most about being involved in the podcast, she said, “My motivation and inspiration for this podcast was fueled by the stories of courage and perseverance demonstrated by women in their military service. It is an honor to be able to connect with women through this podcast and we hope it empowers women to seek the care they have earned at the VA.”
Lynette Adams, who works behind the scenes to get the episodes developed and published, is part of the VHA Office of Women’s Health and is field based at the Madison VA. When asked what she believes the podcast means to women Veterans, she added, “We hope that women understand that they belong at the VA and we want to partner with them in getting their needs met.”
All episodes are found on Spreaker: She Wears the Boots but can also be accessed on many other platforms that host podcasts. Please help us get the word out and share this resource! If you have any comments or questions you can message us at Podcastintakerequests@va.gov.
For more information about the Madison VA Hospital, visit www.madison.va.gov or www.facebook.com/MadisonVAHospital and subscribe to our newsletters.