The Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System’s (GCVHCS) Women Veterans Program is scheduled to host five drive-thru baby showers at the organization’s community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) for currently pregnant women Veterans or those who have delivered in the past year.

The events are scheduled from 11 a.m. through 1 p.m. at the Mobile CBOC in Mobile, Alabama, June 23; the Eglin CBOC near Eglin Air Force Base, June 24; the Panama City Beach CBOC in Panama City Beach, Florida, June 25; the Joint Ambulatory Care Center (JACC) in Pensacola, Florida, June 29; and at the Biloxi Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Biloxi, Mississippi, July 2.

Typical baby shower items – including diapers and baby wipes – are scheduled for distribution during each two-hour event. The event is designed to not only provide expecting and new mother women Veterans needed items, but also to provide information on the variety of services available through the GCVHCS Women Veterans Program.

“These events will show our maternity Veterans that they are not alone during this difficult and challenging time,” said GCVHCS Women Veterans Program Manager Dr. Donna Maxwell. “In addition to providing much needed baby supplies, we’ll also be distributing valuable information concerning resources available through the GCVHCS and within the community to assist mothers with additional needs during pregnancy and after delivery.”

The drive-thru event, designed to minimize contact and reinforce Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended guidelines and VA policies, comes as communities still grapple with the ongoing global health crisis, something Maxwell said can significantly impact expecting Veterans or those who have recently given birth.

“Many women Veterans suffer from depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and pregnancy and delivery can intensify these conditions,” she said. “Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is also known to increase during pregnancy and during the postpartum period, and the ongoing global health crisis and associated quarantine can increase feelings of fear, isolation and depression. Along with providing much-needed items, these events will show our maternity Veterans that they are not alone during this difficult and challenging time.”

The Biloxi VA Medical Center and the Mobile, Pensacola, Eglin and Panama City Beach VA Clinics are all part of the Gulf Coast Veterans Healthcare System (GCVHCS) which is headquartered in Biloxi, Mississippi, and provides a variety of medical outpatient services to more than 77,000 Veterans.

The Biloxi Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, along with the Mobile, Pensacola, Eglin and Panama City VA Clinics are all part of the GCVHCS, which is headquartered in Biloxi, Mississippi, and provides a variety of medical outpatient services to more than 77,000 Veterans.