The Sunshine State is home to the second largest population of women veterans in the nation, with more than 164,000. Women veterans are one of the fastest growing segments of the veterans’ population.
Many women veterans don’t know that they are eligible for the full range of federal and state benefits, to include special programs for them.
In May 2022, a Fact-Finding Committee on Women Veteran Benefits and Communications presented a formal report to the executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The committee was created to assess the needs of Women Veterans in Florida to ensure the availability of earned veterans’ benefits, and that outreach is tailored correctly to provide optimal results for the 164,000 Women Veterans who call Florida home. The executive summary can be found here.
Florida’s State Women Veterans’ Coordinator is Vanessa Thomas. She can be reached at thomasv@fdva.state.fl.us.
VISN 8 Women Veterans’ Program Managers
C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center (Bay Pines)
Donna Sherman
Women Veterans’ Program Manager
(727) 398-6661 ext. 12287
donna.sherman@va.gov
Malcom Randall VA Medical Center (Gainesville)
Cheryl Tillman
Women Veterans’ Program Manager
Toll Free: 1-800-324-8387, ext. 4064 Local: 352-379-4064
cheryl.tillman@va.gov
Lake City VA Medical Center
Cheryl Tillman
Women Veterans’ Program Manager
Toll Free: 1-800-324-8387, ext. 4064 Local: 352-379-4064
cheryl.tillman@va.gov
Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center (Miami)
Michelle Zielenski
Women Veterans’ Program Manager
305-575-7000, ext. 7263
michelle.zielenski@va.gov
James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital (Tampa)
Robin Norris
Women Veterans’ Program Manager
813-972-2000, ext. 6695
Robin.Norris@va.gov
Orlando (Lake Nona) VA Medical Center
Lisa Martel
Women Veterans’ Program Manager
407-631-4088
lisa.martel2@va.gov
West Palm Beach VA Medical Center
Rosemary Balaguer
Women Veterans’ Program Manager
561-422-6881
rosemary.balaguer@va.gov
San Juan, Puerto Rico VA Medical Center
Agnes Santiago-Cotto
Women Veterans’ Program Manager
(787) 641-7582 ext. 32214/35214
Agnes.Santiago-Cotto@va.gov
Other Resources
VA Hotline on Health Care and Benefits for Women Veterans
1-855-VA-WOMEN (1-855-829-6636)
VA Center for Women Veterans
https://www.va.gov/womenvet/
VA’s Women Veterans Quick Start Guide now available
https://blogs.va.gov/VAntage/79371/
Women Veterans Issues
https://www.benefits.va.gov/PERSONA/veteran-women.asp
Women Veterans Health Care
https://www.womenshealth.va.gov
Homeless Women Veterans
https://www.va.gov/homeless/for_women_veterans.asp
Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation
https://www.womensmemorial.org/
VA creates National Women Veterans Oncology System of Excellence in fight against breast cancer
https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=5549
V-WISE – Women Veterans Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship
https://vwise.vets.syr.edu/
U.S. Department of Labor Website for Women Veterans
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/womenveterans