Atlanta VA expands breast imaging care for female veterans

Let's get into this topic here, dealing with healthcare and Veterans Day. Of course, Veterans Day tomorrow, Atlanta VA putting a spotlight on women veterans through art and by expanding breast care imaging. So, Katisha Raglin with Atlanta VA joins us live to talk more about the event that they're offering this evening. Thanks so much for joining us. It's my pleasure, Jasmine. Thank you for having me. So talk about the event. What can people expect when it comes to the care that you all are providing for breast cancer imaging? Well, we're so super excited. The Atlanta VA has recently just opened up our first mammography program. And I like to say first because we are definitely looking at expanding. The Atlanta VA has 21 different sites throughout its metro Atlanta area and our veterans. We want to expand upon the access of care for all of our veterans. And in doing so, we are starting here with our screening mammography program, but we will also be expanding also to diagnostic and a comprehensive program later. And that event happening tonight, where is it and what times for people who want to to go out there. So tonight, at the Cobb County VA Clinic, that's 1263 Cobb Parkway North, Marietta, Georgia, there will be a big event to honor women veterans on the cusp of Veterans Day, as it is tomorrow. Today, of course, the Marine Corps birthday, but for honoring our women veterans, it's going to be Healing Voices and Visions, an art celebration for women veterans. And tell us why it was so important to offer this to women veterans. Well, women veterans, well, one, I'm a female veteran myself, and it is such a pleasure to be able to offer such services for our female veterans. We want to make sure that they know that their voices are being heard and that services are being made available for them And that we can... Become partners with them in the sense that we'll be able to meet their needs and give them options for different types of care and services that relate to their service and the different experiences that they've had serving in our military. And you're a mammography team lead supervisor. Talk to us about what you do specifically with Atlanta VA. Wow. So starting out this mammography program, I do a lot. I collaborate with all of our different partners, both internal and external. We have so many female veterans that are assigned to our facility here. We try to expand upon the access of care. We want to make them know that prevention is everything. We want them to come in, see their providers, and To be encouraged to speak freely about their breast health care and we want to make sure that they know that all of their needs will be able to be met here. We have the state of the art 3D tomosynthesis mammography located here at our Atlanta VA and we are just so excited that we have now been able to open the doors. We've already serviced now over 330 of our female veterans here and they've been so excited to come in here. We call the... The VA facility or Atlanta VHA facility, the House of the Veterans, we think that we are so capable of being able to service our veterans to speak their lingo. We hear different shouts and cheers that come through the hallways as our veterans walk through as they share that camaraderie with the different types of services like them. Navy veterans, Marine Corps veterans, and as I said today, it's like Marine Corps birthday. So they do little shouts and hollers, and we holler right back at them, too. So it's like so much fun. Well, thank you so much for your service and all that you do for women veterans as well. One last time, our time's coming to an end here. So one last time, tell us what time and where the event tonight is happening. So tonight, it's at the Cobb County VA Clinic, again, at 1263 Cobb Parkway North, Marietta, Georgia. The event is tonight from 4 to 7 p.m., and we do look forward to seeing all of our veterans there. And from one veteran to another, happy Veterans Day. All right, happy Veterans Day. Thank you again, Katisha Raglin with Atlanta VA. We'll see you soon. Thank you for joining us.