Women’s Deployment Health Focus of Women’s Equality Day Program

Courtesy Photo | Andrea Wolf  

UNITED STATES

09.09.2022

Story by Bernard Little 

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

Women’s deployment health involves a number of issues, and some of them were discussed by a panel of military health-care providers and others during a virtual program in observance of Women’s Equality Day, Aug. 26.
Initially established to celebrate the 1920 adoption of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Women’s Equality Day has taken on broader meaning over the years. The 19th Amendment prohibits states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to U.S. citizens on the basis of sex. As women have become a force in politics and the government, their quest for equality has expanded in other arenas.
“If it wasn’t for this amendment passing, I would not be here, and many of you would not be here today,” said Navy Capt. (Dr.) Kelly Elmore, one of the speakers during the virtual program. A board- certified OB-GYN, Elmore is chief of staff at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, one of the host for the program. The Uniformed Services University also hosted the program.
Elmore added that as a leader at a major hospital in the Department of Defense, her primary focus is the same as her patients: “to make sure we have the health services we need for everyone, and that those services are equitable across the board. This is very close to my heart.”
The WRNMMC chief of staff also said it’s important for military medicine to be ready to go down range with the rest of the forces, and this requires equity in services. “Military medicine is the beacon of light for health care because we develop things faster than most others,” she added. She also explained that one of the most important aspects of being a leader and patient-care provider, is listening to staff and beneficiaries, which often leads to the advances in health care.
Discussing women in the Military Health System, Elmore said, “We need to understand that when we train people to be in the MHS, and as we increase the number of women who are going to be in the MHS, as providers and beneficiaries, we need to make sure we are able to take care of the continuum of those [women].” She said this does not only include OB-GYN care, but also musculoskeletal, orthopedic, behavioral health, cardiovascular, podiatry, geriatric and other health-care services.

Transgender Health

Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Noelle Larson, medical director for the National Capital Region Transgender Health Center, also served as a speaker for the program. She addressed deployment considerations for transgender women. She explained that for operational readiness and deployment of transgender women, medical leaders need to model a climate of dignity and respect. Leaders also need to provide for privacy and physical safety concerns. They must also know the medical limitations to deployment, as well as provide support for frontline clinicians in austere environments, which includes capabilities for global telehealth and access to Transgender Care Teams.
“All leaders, and particularly medical leaders, must understand the distinction between the basic concepts of assigned sex, gender identity, gender expressional and sexual orientation. Model the use of accurate language to discourage discrimination and promote dignity and respect. Health-care personnel should use a service member’s stated pronouns at all times,” Larson said. She added gender identity has also been a protected category since 2020 under Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s regulations.
“Transwomen, and particularly transgender women of color, are at very high risk for violence in our culture, and there’s no exception in the military,” Larson continued. “As medical leaders, we need to support a clear leadership message that within our ranks, violence against transgender women is not tolerated,” she added.
Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Janelle Marra, regimental surgeon at Camp Pendleton, California and a clinical assistant professor at USU, also served as a panelist for the program. She recommends service women deploying visit the site Deployment Readiness Education for Service Women (DRES) at https://mobile.health.mil/dres/#/. The site offers information addressing preparing for deployment (health information, conditions, contraception, STIs, packing list and more); deployment challenges and issues (information on mental health, nutrition, sexual assault, staying connected and more); and advice for returning from deployment (tips for self and family reintegration, family planning, mental health resources and more).
Another site Marra recommends is the Navy Medicine’s Women’s Health Website at https://www.med.navy.mil/Navy-Marine-Corps-Public-Health-Center/Womens-Health/.
Marra said DOD’s SAFE Helpline at https://safehelpline.org/, provides 24/7 anonymous, one-on-one, confidential, and tailored support to members in the DOD community and their loved ones affected by sexual assault. The SAFE Helpline is also reachable at 877-995-5247.

Shared Decision-Making

Retired Air Force Col. (Dr.) Catherine Witkop, associate dean for medical education and professor of preventive medicine and gynecologic surgery and obstetrics at USU, said empowering service women to improve health care includes shared decision-making. She defined this as “a collaborative process in which patients and providers make health-care decisions together, considering the patient’s values and preferences, as well as the scientific evidence.
“As leaders of the MHS, we need to ensure our leaders, clinicians and other providers understand the unique needs of our service women and create the environment that leads to optimal health for all,” Witkop said.
The future of women’s health care is evolving, added Andrea Wolf, a Washington-based attorney who was also a presenter during the program. At 22, Wolf found out that she was BRCA1-positive. She committed to taking control of her breast health and doing everything she could to change her family’s breast cancer narrative. At 30, she had prophylactic double mastectomies. She currently works with an organization focused on early detection of breast cancer and helping inspire women to take control of their breast health.
Wolf said while women in the military face the same unique health considerations as all women, including menstruation, fertility, pregnancy, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, menopause and mental health, women in uniform can face even more challenges. These additional concerns include burn pits issues, and other mental health considerations, she explained.
Wolf then listed innovations in development to improve women’s health care, including a smart tampon to diagnose women’s disease such as endometriosis; a microbial urine test to identify susceptibility to urinary tract infections, bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections; at-home OB ultrasound; and artificial intelligence to identify higher-risk women at earlier ages for diseases.
“For servicewomen and their families, remote access and care will change who can access technological innovations and excellent care. This is especially exciting for women serving in remote locations with field hospitals,” Wolf added.
She said researchers and scientists are also getting increased funding to discover new aspects of women’s diseases, and women are being included more in clinical trials and studies for better determining the states and progression of various diseases.

• Date Taken: 09.09.2022
• Date Posted: 09.09.2022 15:36
• Story ID: 428944
• Location: US