VA Launches Online Women’s Health Transition Training

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched its online Women’s Health Transition Training course, enabling all transitioning servicewomen and recently separated women Veterans to have access to information about VA women’s health services.  

The online, self-paced instruction is available at tapevents.mil/courses/197. It is designed to complement the Transition Assistance Program (TAP). 

The online program provides information and resources to help participants understand VA’s gender-specific health care services, enroll in VA health care as quickly as possible after separation and be better prepared to manage their post-military health care. 

“VA has presented the Women’s Health Transition Training content to hundreds of women and refined it based on their feedback,” said VA Office of Transition and Economic Development Acting Executive Director, Lawrencia Pierce. “By expanding course availability online, servicewomen and women Veterans worldwide are better able to learn about VA health care designed for their needs and empowered to make informed decisions about their future.” 

Women are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. Veteran population, but only 40% of eligible women Veterans are enrolled in VA health care. VA and the Department of Defense collaborated in 2017 to study women Veterans’ barriers to care and to establish a pilot training program to address these barriers. 

In 2018, VA began offering the Women’s Health Transition Training at select installations and has since provided the instructor-led course in person and online to hundreds of transitioning servicewomen. Feedback from pilot participants shows the course increases awareness of women’s health services available through VA, and the on-demand course makes this important information readily available to all.