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VAntage Point
Visibility and care for those who served in the shadows
VA North Texas serving the needs of LGBTQ population
There are approximately one million lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/or questioning (LGBTQ) Veterans in the U.S. Many receive some or all of their health care at a VA medical facility. Many of these Veterans spent years or lifetimes in the shadows.
VA North Texas Health Care System is committed to serving the needs of and developing culturally competent, patient-centered care for its LGBTQ population.
Pin given to employees on completion of LGBTQ training.
“VA Core Values help establish an expectation that VA will promote and provide Veterans, including LGBTQ Veterans, with the best care available,” said Dr. Christopher Holland-deguire, VA North Texas LGBTQ Veteran Care Coordinator (VCC).
The first employee to voluntarily receive the dose was Army veteran Michael Bills, who cleans the hospital emergency department.
“I want to do it for my fellow people, especially for people of color because a lot of them don’t want to get it,” the EMS employee said. “I hope that they see that I get it and they would get it too.”
The second-largest system in the country is among 37 VA sites chosen for the first round of distribution, receiving nearly 3,000 doses.
“It’s an honor for me to the able to be the chief of pharmacy and be so involved in the distribution of the vaccine and not only the distribution of the vaccine, but a distribution of the vaccine to our nation’s heroes,” said Dr. Anquan Brown, PharmD, MBA.