For Healthcare Professionals
Applying an Equity Lens
The Difference between Equality and Equity—Part 1
A quick search of the internet can provide various definitions for equality and equity; the subtle, yet important, and important differences in these concepts; and depictions to help the most novice person to recognize the difference distinguish between equality and equity. For the last point, the Office of Health Equity developed the Applying an Equity Lens depiction based on similar renderings. Our goal was is to be Veteran-centric in order to champion and raise awareness of health equity issues among Veterans, VHA staff, and stakeholders. [Read More]
Assess Health Equity as a Priority at Your Facility
One goal of the VHA Health Equity Action Plan is to strengthen and broaden leadership to address health disparities throughout the VA. Our new tool, the Competing on Health Equity – Organization Assessment, can help you consider if your organization (e.g., the facility where you receive care or the section in which your work) makes health equity a priority. The Assessment was developed by Harry L. Leider, MD, MBA and was modified for OHE use under appropriate permission.
Cultural Competence Training
- VA Office of Diversity and Inclusion Training Resources
- US Department of Health and Human Services Think Cultural Health Education Programs
- Health Resources and Services Administration Culture, Language, and Health Literacy Resources
VHA Providers Explore Unconscious Bias
VHA providers share their stories of creating awareness of unconscious bias within their clinical practice and how bias impacts us all. A bias is a tendency. Most biases are natural. However, biases can cause problems when we are not aware of them and we apply them inappropriately to our everyday choices, which can lead to discriminatory practices and result in poorer health outcomes and experiences for patients. The brief videos were created by the VA Office of Health Equity and Employee Education System in an effort to ensure all Veterans receive high quality and equitable healthcare. The videos were recorded April 2013.
- Developing Clinical Awareness (3:44)
- Impact on Clinical Practice (3:15)
- Importance of Knowing Your Own Bias (3:37)
- Health Equity Stories to Share (6:15)
Diverse Images in Communication and Education Materials
Harvard Implicit Associations Test
Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse Veterans in VHA
This series of brief trainings is designed to give VHA providers a foundational understanding of key components of care for transgender and gender diverse Veterans. This series is organized into brief (15-20 minute), topic-focused trainings so that providers can select exactly the topic they want to review at any given time. VA employees may receive learning credit via TMS by viewing these recordings at their leisure. The training may be accessed in TMS using the Direct Link listed below.
Click EES-141, log in to TMS and all topics will display for selection.
Covered topics include:
- Introduction
- Diagnosing Gender Dysphoria
- Assessment of Readiness and Consent for Hormone Therapy
- Medical Evaluation for Feminizing Hormone Therapy
- Medical Evaluaton for Masculinizing Hormone Therapy
- Feminizing Hormone Therapy
- Masculinizing Hormone Therapy
VHA TRAIN Portal for CME Transgender Trainings
- An Introduction to Transgender Veteran Health Care
- Transgender Health: Prescribing Cross-Sex Hormones
- Transgender Mental Health Services Program
Military Health History Pocket Card
Period of Service/Military Era Timeline
Veterans serving in different period(s) of service or military era(s) may experience unique health concerns. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the time frames for each period of service/military era.
Suggested Citation: Veterans Health Administration Office of Health Equity. Timeline of U.S. Period of Service Eras. 2016. https://www.va.gov/HEALTHEQUITY/docs/Period_of_Service_Timeline_OHE10212016.pdf
