Veterans find support in minority programs coordinators at VA

At VA, we want to ensure that our patients and our workforce feel supported when they walk through our doors.

As our military becomes more and more diverse, so too will the Veterans seeking health care from VA.

That’s why we employ minority Veterans program coordinators throughout the nation to support Veterans from underserved backgrounds, including Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; LGBTQ+ persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

The role of a minority Veterans programs coordinator

Minority Veterans programs coordinators, LGBTQ+ Veteran care coordinators, and program managers for women Veterans are located at regional offices, health care facilities, and national cemeteries throughout the nation to educate and help Veterans access benefits and services.

The work undertaken by the coordinators includes:

• Promoting the use of VA benefits, programs, and services by minority Veterans
• Targeting outreach efforts to minority Veterans through community networks
• Identifying gaps in services and making recommendations to VA to improve service

They also take the lead in supporting and initiating activities that educate and sensitize staff to the unique needs of minority Veterans, an effort that has seen renewed commitment in 2021 as we focus on better understanding our patients and diversifying our workforce.

Our minority programs coordinators bridge the care gap often faced by underserved populations. They help patients feel confident that VA understands their unique health care needs.

Our diverse workforce

We are dedicated to providing quality care to all Veterans regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender and sexual identity — and are committed to hiring a staff that is as diverse as the patients we serve.

“To ensure a welcoming environment for Veterans, we must foster fair and inclusive VA workplaces where the experiences and perspectives of our diverse employees are valued,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough in March 2021. “The success of our mission depends on everyone being able to contribute their expertise, experience, talents, ideas and perspectives.”

“At the heart of serving a diverse group of Veterans is a diverse VA workforce,” explained Dr. Patricia Hayes, chief officer for VA Women’s Health. “Our providers and staff are racially and ethnically diverse. We’re integrating best practices of diversity, equity, and inclusion into all that we do to expand access to our world-class health care services and improving policies and procedures to reflect the diversity of those we serve.”

As McDonough and Hayes both stressed, diversity is an asset that we must continue to utilize in our mission to provide the best health care to Veterans.

Work at VA

We offer a workplace where your experience matters, and where your individuality is an asset.

• LEARN about the work of minority Veterans programs coordinators.
• READ the full message from Secretary McDonough.
• HEAR stories from VA employees, in their own words.
• VISIT our website to learn more about a career at VA.