Lgbtq+ veteran care | veterans affairs

CARE WE PROVIDE AT VA PROVIDENCE HEALTH CARE Our LGBTQ+ Veteran care coordinators can answer your questions, advocate for your right to quality care, handle complaints or concerns you have

about your care, and help you get started with any of our services for LGBTQ+ Veterans. These include: * Mental health services, including psychosocial assessments for hormone therapy and

gender confirming surgeries * Creative arts therapies * Hormone therapy * Gender-affirming prosthetics * Testing, counseling, and care for HIV and sexually transmitted infections,

counseling, and care, including post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for Veterans at risk for HIV * Other prevention, screening, wellness, and testing services

POLICIES AND PRACTICES TO KNOW The care coordinator can help you get started with care or with navigating any of these issues. VISITATION: A same-sex partner, family member, friend, or

other individual can be present with the patient for emotional support during the course of the patient's stay. DEFINITION OF FAMILY: "Family" may include individual(s) not

legally related to the individual. Family members include spouses, domestic partners, different-sex and same-sex significant others. ADVANCE DIRECTIVES: Veterans may designate any person as

a decision-maker for care if they won't be able to make these decisions themselves. This includes same-sex partners. Advance directive agents are chosen by the Veteran and do not need

to be biologically related. DOCUMENTATION IN MEDICAL RECORDS: VA Providence maintains the confidentiality of information about sexual orientation, and sexual behavior just like any other

private health information. CHANGING NAME IN RECORDS: Your name in your medical record will reflect your legal name. You have the right to request that your name is updated as appropriate.

There are established procedures for changing your name with the VA Privacy Officer.