LGBTQ+ Veteran care
VA North Texas employees receive training in clinical care that is responsive to the unique needs of LGBTQ+ Veterans. Our trained LGBTQ+ Veteran care coordinator is fully equipped to support the health, welfare, and dignity of you and your family.
Connect with our LGBTQ+ Veteran care coordinator

Christopher Holland-Deguire, PsyD
LGBTQ+ Veteran care coordinator, staff psychologist
VA North Texas health care
Phone: 214-857-0534
Care we provide at VA North Texas
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 North Texas maintains the confidentiality of information about sexual orientation, sexual behavior, and gender identity, just like any other private health information.
Changing name or sex in records: Your name in your medical record will reflect your legal name. The sex in your medical record should reflect your self-identified gender. You have the right to request that your name and sex are updated as appropriate. There are established procedures for changing your name and sex with the VA Privacy Officer.
VA North Texas LGBTQ+ safe space provider directory
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.
Category | Provider | Pronouns | Department | Role | Degree | Location | Medical certification | Mental health certification | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Category | Admin | Provider | Reba Pollard | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Patient administrative services | Role | Patient flow expediter/bed control | Degree | RN | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | X | Mental health certification | |
Category | Inpatient | Provider | Stephen Sissons | Pronouns | He/Him | Department | Nursing | Role | TICU/SICU bedside nurse | Degree | BSN/RN | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | X | Mental health certification | |
Category | Medical | Provider | Renata Harris | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Nursing | Role | Registered nurse | Degree | RN, BSN | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | X | Mental health certification | |
Category | Medical | Provider | Karen E. Yandell | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | CLC-C wing | Role | Charge nurse | Degree | BSN | Location | Bonham | Medical certification | X | Mental health certification | |
Category | Medical | Provider | Lillian Medhus | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Gynecology, Surgical service | Role | Nurse practitioner | Degree | DNP, WHNP-BC, CNM | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | X | Mental health certification | |
Category | Medical | Provider | Belinda Sweet | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Nursing | Role | Clinic nurse | Degree | BSN | Location | Bonham | Medical certification | X | Mental health certification | |
Category | Medical | Provider | Linda A Oliver | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Nursing | Role | LVN | Degree | LVN | Location | Bonham | Medical certification | X | Mental health certification | |
Category | Medical | Provider | Kathryn Nelson | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Anesthesia and pain management services | Role | Assistant chief certified registered nurse anesthetist | Degree | MSN, BSN, BA in psychology | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | X | Mental health certification | |
Category | Medical | Provider | Ricky Harden | Pronouns | He/Him | Department | Radiology services | Role | Lead technologist, Vascular & interventional radiology | Degree | BS in radiologic service | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | X | Mental health certification | |
Category | Medical | Provider | Hannah Omonzogie | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Surgical services | Role | Ophthalmology nurse | Degree | LVN | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | X | Mental health certification | |
Category | Medical | Provider | Erin Messick | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Clinical research nit | Role | Clinical research coordinator | Degree | MS | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | Mental health certification | ||
Category | Medical | Provider | Christopher Harvey | Pronouns | He/Him | Department | Audiology & speech pathology | Role | Audiologist | Degree | Au.D. | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | Mental health certification | ||
Category | Medical | Provider | Ruth Pinkerton | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Vascular surgery | Role | Physician assistant | Degree | PA-C | Location | Dallas/Ft. Worth | Medical certification | Mental health certification | ||
Category | MH | Provider | Christopher Holland-Deguire | Pronouns | He/Him | Department | Mental health | Role | Psychologist & LGBTQ+ VCC | Degree | PsyD | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | Mental health certification | ||
Category | MH | Provider | Carl L. Grahn | Pronouns | He/Him | Department | Mental health | Role | Psychologist | Degree | PsyD | Location | Ft. Worth | Medical certification | Mental health certification | X | |
Category | MH | Provider | Kent Ross | Pronouns | He/Him | Department | Mental health | Role | Community integration specialist | Degree | Certified peer specialist | Location | Ft. Worth | Medical certification | Mental health certification | X | |
Category | MH | Provider | Jenny Esparza | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Mental health | Role | Senior social worker | Degree | MBA, LCSW-S. PMP | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | Mental health certification | X | |
Category | MH | Provider | Ashley McLaurin | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Mental health | Role | HCHV outreach social worker | Degree | LMSW | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | Mental health certification | X | |
Category | MH | Provider | Demetrice Roberson-Gaines | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Mental health | Role | Vocational rehab specialist | Degree | ABD, MA | Location | Fort Worth | Medical certification | Mental health certification | X | |
Category | MH | Provider | Scott Woods | Pronouns | He/Him | Department | Mental health | Role | Psychologist | Degree | PsyD | Location | Tyler | Medical certification | Mental health certification | X | |
Category | MH | Provider | Sherrie St. Cyr | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Mental health | Role | Clinical social worker PCMHI | Degree | MSSW | Location | Bonham | Medical certification | Mental health certification | X | |
Category | MH | Provider | Robert Pugh | Pronouns | He/Him | Department | Mental health | Role | Program support assistant | Degree | MBA | Location | Fort Worth | Medical certification | Mental health certification | ||
Category | MH | Provider | Ariel Brown | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Mental health | Role | Social worker | Degree | MSW, LCSW-S | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | X | Mental health certification | X |
Category | MH | Provider | Riley Cook | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Clinical research | Role | Study coordinator, Mental health | Degree | MS | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | Mental health certification | X | |
Category | MH | Provider | Beth Snear | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Mental health | Role | Social worker | Degree | LMSW | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | Mental health certification | X | |
Category | MH | Provider | Thomas Lane | Pronouns | He/Him | Department | Bonham domiciliary | Role | Addiction therapist | Degree | BS, LCDC | Location | Bonham | Medical certification | Mental health certification | X | |
Category | MH | Provider | Julia Evans | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Mental health | Role | PTSD/SUD psychologist | Degree | PhD | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | Mental health certification | X | |
Category | MH | Provider | Shanell Williams | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Mental health | Role | Social worker | Degree | LMSW | Location | Fort Worth | Medical certification | Mental health certification | X | |
Category | MH | Provider | Alexandria Marshall | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Mental health | Role | Occupational therapist | Degree | MS, OTR/L | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | Mental health certification | ||
Category | MH | Provider | Monica J Kelly | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Mental health | Role | Senior social worker | Degree | LCSW | Location | Bonham | Medical certification | Mental health certification | X | |
Category | PACT | Provider | Courtney Wayne | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Social work service | Role | Social worker, LGBTQ+ SEPM | Degree | MA, LCSW, CCM | Location | Garland | Medical certification | X | Mental health certification | X |
Category | PACT | Provider | Nicole Goulding | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Ambulatory care, SCI, Whole health | Role | Radiation oncology therapist, NBWHC | Degree | MSRS | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | X | Mental health certification | X |
Category | PACT | Provider | Kim Canova-Romans | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Recreation therapy | Role | Certified therapeutic recreation specialist | Degree | BS | Location | Dallas/Ft Worth | Medical certification | X | Mental health certification | X |
Category | PACT | Provider | Yolanda L. Cates | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | MAS | Role | AOD | Degree | Location | Dallas | Medical certification | Mental health certification | |||
Category | PACT | Provider | Johnny Trinh | Pronouns | He/Him | Department | Social work service | Role | Social worker | Degree | LMSW | Location | Garland | Medical certification | Mental health certification | X | |
Category | PACT | Provider | Kayla Acomb | Pronouns | She/Her | Department | Nutrition and food service | Role | Eating disorder RD | Degree | BS, RD | Location | North Texas | Medical certification | Mental health certification | ||
Category | PACT | Provider | Charles Clift | Pronouns | He/Him | Department | PACT RN | Role | Nurse | Degree | RN | Location | Garland | Medical certification | Mental health certification | ||
Category | PACT | Provider | Johnny Trinh | Pronouns | He/Him | Department | Social work service | Role | Social worker | Degree | LMSW | Location | Garland | Medical certification | Mental health certification |

VA North Texas has received the designation of “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer” in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 15th-anniversary edition of the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey of healthcare facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of their LGBTQ+ patients, visitors and employees.
This designation is the highest possible score a VHA facility can get as we do not currently have access to gender-affirming surgical procedures within VHA facilities across the country.
This accomplishment places VA North Texas as one of two LGBTQ+ HEI Top Performers in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, as well as one of two VHA facilities within VISN 17 to hold this status.