LGBQ Veteran care
VA Shreveport health care employees receive training in clinical care that is responsive to the unique needs of LGBQ Veterans. Our trained LGBQ Veteran care coordinators are fully equipped to support the health, welfare, and dignity of you and your family.
Connect with a care coordinator
Bradly McCollum BSW, MSW, LCSW
LGBQ Veteran Care Coordinator
VA Shreveport health care
Phone:
Email: bradly.mccollum@va.gov
Care we provide at VA Shreveport
We promote the health, welfare, and dignity of Veterans who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer/questioning. We focus on ensuring a safe, welcoming, and affirmative environment when providing you with sensitive and high-quality health care services like:
- Mental health services
- Creative arts therapies
- HIV and STI testing, counseling, and care, including PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) and PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) 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 Shreveport maintains the confidentiality of information about sexual orientation, sexual behavior, and gender identity, just like any other private health information.