Organizational characteristics associated with the availability of women's health clinics for primary care in the Veterans Health Administration.
OBJECTIVE
Women's health clinics (WHCs) offering integrated primary care (PC) and gender-specific services reduce fragmentation and improve quality of care for women. Our objective was to understand organizational influences on the development of WHCs for PC delivery in Veterans Health Administration (VA) facilities.


METHODS
We surveyed PC directors at 219 VA facilities about the presence of separate WHCs for PC and evaluated organizational characteristics (e.g., authority, staffing, and resources) associated with their development.


RESULTS
One hundred thirty-three VA medical centers (61%) have established WHCs for PC. VA facilities with WHCs for PC were significantly more likely to have PC leadership distinct from subspecialty care (odds ratio = 3.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.45-9.05). Local PC staff mix, team structure, and resource characteristics were not associated with WHCs.


CONCLUSIONS
With the growth of women in the military and, in turn, in the VA, autonomy of PC leadership may drive VA-based innovations in women's health.
Bean-Mayberry
Bevanne A
BA
VA Greater Los Angeles Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Center of Excellence, Center for the Study of Healthcare Provider Behavior, Sepulveda, CA 91343, USA.
Yano
Elizabeth M
EM
Caffrey
Cynthia D
CD
Altman
Lisa
L
Washington
Donna L
DL
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011320:Primary Health Care; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans; D058014:Veterans Health; D016387:Women's Health