ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the 2011 transgender healthcare directive drove a system-wide change in attitudes and knowledge about transgender health. It focuses on the history of Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA's) association with the Department of Defense (DoD) as well as the size and complexity of the VHA. The VHA Office of Patient Care Services, the umbrella program overseeing most clinical services in VHA, formed a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Health Program to field questions from providers, develop education and training programs, and continue policy development to address the needs of LGBT veterans. The chapter discusses much of the programs and resources can be found on the VHA LGBT Health Program website. One of the first initiatives undertaken by the LGBT Health Program for promotion of quality transgender health within VHA was the development of an internal online resource center that could be updated.
