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BROCKTON VA TEMPORARILY CLOSES WOMEN'S HEALTH

CENTER -- VA says the women's center has closed

temporarily because three main staff members left

their positions and others are on vacation.

 

 

This is one of those stories that proves there are people working at the VA who should not have their jobs.

There was no reason for this health center to close, even temporarily.

Proper hiring and scheduling practices would assure continuation of services.

For more on women veterans, use the VA Watchdog search engine...click here...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/
sessearch.php?q=women
+veterans&op=ph

Story here... http://enterprise.southof
boston.com/articles/2007/08/24
/news/news/news10.txt

Story below:

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Women's health center temporarily closes at VA
 

By Maria Papadopoulos,
Enterprise staff writer

BROCKTON— The Women's Health Center at the Veterans Administration Medical Center has closed temporarily, leaving some local veterans concerned for the health care of female veterans.

“Right now it means the women have to go back like eight years ago and sit with the men and get their (medical) care,” said Mary Jane Letizia, 65, of Rockland, the former veteran's agent for that town and a longtime patient at the clinic.

VA spokeswoman Diane Keefe said Thursday the hospital began diverting female patients on Wednesday from the women's center to the nearby Building 3 outpatient clinic.

Keefe said the women's center has closed temporarily because three main staff members — two program coordinators and its clinical director — left their positions and others are on vacation.

“We had three key members leave the program within a very short period of time, so we need to regroup and recruit for new people,” Keefe said.

Keefe did not have a definite date of reopening for the women's clinic.

“It depends on our recruitment and coverage. We anticipate just a couple of weeks,” Keefe said.

There are no plans to close the women's clinic permanently, Keefe said.

The Women's Health Center opened in 1999 at the Brockton VA hospital as the first in the country to house both a medical clinic and in-patient psychiatric unit solely for women.

The center has a private entrance for women and provides services ranging from gynecology to mental health.

The clinic serves about 600 female veterans from across Plymouth County, said Letizia, a U.S. Navy veteran who is on the VA Women's Advisory Committee.

She said she is worried about the women's clinic closing — even if it's temporary.

“My concern is the care for the women veterans,” Letizia said. “This clinic was designed for the women veterans to have a safe and comfortable environment to get their medical care.”

Maria Papadopoulos can be reached at mpapadopoulos@enterprisenews.com.

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Larry Scott  --