Legionnaire featured in VA video promoting healthcare in LGBTQIA+ community  

American Legion National Security Commission Chairman Matthew Shuman is featured in a Veteran's Health Administration's Office of Healthcare Innovation & Learning video promoting VA healthcare in the LGBTQIA+ community. Watch the video here.

The video promotes VA’s PRIDE In All Who Served program, an initiative that emerged out of the Hampton VA Medical Center in 2016 to connect LGBTQ+ veterans, foster a peer support system and enhance health literacy within this community.

It has been widely documented by multiple studies that LGBTQ+ veterans are at increased risk for suicide and other healthcare inequities, due to discrimination and barriers to accessing care. Despite existing provider-focused education and inclusive policies, a gap in clinical services for LGBTQ+ veterans remains.

The impact of a peer support program such as PRIDE In All Who Served extends beyond camaraderie. It is aimed to serve a a safeguard against issues like suicide and stigma-related stress that disproportionately affect LGBTQ+ individuals.

Watch the video to hear from two members of the PRIDE in All Who Served team: Tanisha Anderson, LCSW, LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinator at the Richmond, VA Medical Center; and Sierra Phillips, LCSW, LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinator at Tomah VA Medical Center. Shuman, a U.S. Army veteran, shares his personal experiences and the benefits of PRIDE In All Who Served program.

Learn more about the PRIDE in All Who Served program here.