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Women’s Health Resource Fair Draws Fastest Growing Veteran Population

Women’s Health Medical Director Dr. Dana Glenn shares the White Ribbon Pledge with Women Veteran’s Resource Fair attendees on May 23, 2024.
Women’s Health Medical Director Dr. Dana Glenn shares the White Ribbon Pledge with Women Veteran’s Resource Fair attendees on May 23, 2024.
By Rachelle Smith, Public Affairs Specialist

The Women’s Health Resource Fair at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital Primary Care Annex on May 23, 2024, successfully brough together over 150 women Veterans to discuss and explore the many resources available to the fastest growing demographic of Veterans.

The event featured over 50 services and Veteran Service Organizations, Toxic Exposure Screenings due to the newly expanded PACT Act and a Mobile Mammography bus providing Women Veterans with valuable information about life after serving in the military.

“I wanted to create a one-stop shop for Women Veterans to see just how much is available,” said Program Support Assistant for Women Veterans Program Ashley Sard, the event’s coordinator. “I typically receive a lot of emails from Women Veterans asking where a particular service or organization is, and I thought, ‘Why not solve this problem with a Resource Fair?’”

The event began with a speech from Women’s Health Medical Director Dr. Dana Glenn and JAHVH Executive Director David Dunning on the importance of growing and adapting as an institution that is here to serve and accommodate the unique needs of Women Veterans. Attendees raised their right hands while taking the White Ribbon Pledge Against Violence then browsed through the different booths and tables gathering information and having moments to share and bond with many other Women Veterans from across the Armed Forces.

“I commend everyone who participated in this incredible resource fair, especially those who raised their hand to take the White Ribbon Pledge,” said Dr. Glenn. “As a health care system, we recognize the many negative and often lifetime impacts of violence which can include the experience of sexual assault, sexual harassment as well as intimate partner violence.”

Team Tampa currently serves approximately 14,900 Women Veterans, and that number continues to grow. James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital offers comprehensive health care to Women Veterans of all ages at all sites of clinical care. The services are provided by primary care providers who have specialized training in women’s health. They work closely with specialists in gynecology, urology, oncology, medicine, radiology, surgery, and breast care. The Women Veterans Program wants to be sure that the area’s Women Veterans know the options and benefits available to them, so they receive equal access to timely, sensitive and high-quality care.

“We are dedicated to addressing the needs of Women Veterans with the many resources and services you see today and more,” said Dunning. “But we also need to acknowledge that when we take this pledge, we’re not only committing to not perpetrating harassment or violent acts, but also to having the courage to come forward when we see it happening to someone else. Women Veterans are courageous and strong, and we need to do all we can to ensure they continue to thrive in our care.”