New VA Womens' Health Chief Takes Office

Dr. Patricia M. Hayes took the helm as Chief Consultant for the VA’s Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group, in April 2008. She will oversee the women veteran program managers at all VA Medical Centers, the woman’s liaisons at all community-based outpatient clinics and the 50 Women’s Health Centers within the VA medical center system.

Dr. Hayes is a senior level clinician with 25 years experience serving veterans. This past year, she worked across the VHA to expand initiatives for women veterans and was responsible for the acquisition and distribution of significant additional resources to enhance women veterans’ clinical care including additional radiology, diagnostic, and clinical equipment. She is also the past Lead Women Veteran Program manager for the VA’s VISN 4. A native of Seattle, WA, she received a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Catholic University in Washington, DC, in 1984, and is an expert in sexual trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder counseling.

According to the VA, women veterans are second only to elderly veterans as the fastest growing segment of the veteran population. The 1.7 million women veterans comprise 7 percent of the total veteran population today, and it is estimated that the women veteran population will grow to be 10 percent of all veterans by the year 2020. Currently, the VA estimates, 255,000 of today’s women veterans use the VA health service.