• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • All Articles
  • Arts & Culture
  • Health
  • News
    • News
    • Announcements
    • Obituaries
    • The Official Dish
  • Opinions
  • Horoscopes
  • PODCAST
  • Subscribe

Ambush Magazine

The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™

  • Read All Articles
  • Print Archive
  • Old Archived Site
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise

SLVHCS Director receives VA Diversity & Inclusion Excellence Award

June 4, 2019 By Community Contributor

Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System (SLVHCS) Director Fernando O. Rivera sitting with his award, surrounded by coworkers
Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System (SLVHCS) Director Fernando O. Rivera sitting with his award, surrounded by coworkers

Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System (SLVHCS) Director Fernando O. Rivera has accepted the seventh annual VA Secretary’s Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Award. This honor is awarded to individuals and teams who grow a diverse, high-performing workforce that reflects all segments of our society and values all aspects of our human diversity; cultivate an inclusive work environment and create an engaged organization that leverages diversity and empowers all contributors; and facilitate outstanding, responsive public service.

Putting our Veterans at the center of everything we do at SLVHCS is how we provide the world-class health care that our Veterans have earned and deserve. Mr. Rivera’s team consists of a hard-working group of senior executives, Minority Veterans Program, LGBTQ and Women’s Health Program Directors, Diversity & Inclusion Office team members and Special Emphasis Program Managers (SEPM) who support trust and open communication to foster a diverse workforce and an inclusive environment for employees and Veterans. As health care professionals, it is essential that we are sensitive, aware and understand the unique health care needs of all our Veterans. We believe that by being an inclusive health care environment, our Veterans will have trust and confidence in us, and increased satisfaction with their health care.

Mr. Rivera demonstrates a 24/7, 100 percent commitment to diversity and inclusion, resulting in the creation of Cultural Competency training for staff. Due to the demand and popularity of this training by managers, it became a part of the facility’s supervisor curricula. This training supports engagement and provides supervisors the tools to mentor employees who communicate, operate, and reflect an environment that encourages diversity and inclusion.

Advertisement

Our SEPMs and the Diversity and Inclusion staff play an integral role in creating an inclusive work environment through continued ethnic, cultural and special observances planned and executed at the New Orleans Veterans medical center. These observances promote learning and foster an environment that highlights cultural diversity and inclusion throughout the health care system, to include our geographically separated community-based outpatient clinics. Each year they research new and creative ways to educate our staff, Veterans and their families.

Our LGBTQ Special Emphasis Program Sub-Committee also participates in the New Orleans PRIDE Parades and provides outreach materials, such as brochures on health care benefits and services, from a decorated VA vehicle and a new float that roll in the parade. Additionally, through their efforts, the health care system was designated as a leader in the LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) for the last two years. The HEI is a national LGBTQ benchmarking tool that evaluates health care facilities’ policies and practices related to the equity and inclusion of LGBTQ patients, visitors and employees.

Under Mr. Rivera’s leadership, we have worked together to make tremendous impacts on the quality of life of our Veterans, no matter their race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. Because our staff believe in a diverse and inclusive workforce that understands and appreciates the differences between people, we will continue to make great strides in meeting the needs of the diverse population we proudly serve. 

Advertisement

Filed Under: Announcements

Related Posts

Gay Carnival at the Historic New Orleans Collection
Gay Carnival at the Historic New Orleans Collection
Prospect 4: The Lotus in Spite of the Swamp

Primary Sidebar

Connect & Join the Conversation

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Recent Print Editions

  • Volume 38 Issue 17
  • Volume 38 Issue 16
  • Volume 38 Issue 15
  • Volume 38 Issue 14
  • Volume 38 Issue 13
  • Volume 38 Issue 12
  • Volume 38 Issue 11
  • Volume 38 Issue 10
  • Volume 38 Issue 05
  • Volume 38 Issue 04

Recent Articles

  • Women Make History: Carnival 2023
  • An Interview with author Mark Chestnut
  • Trodding the Boards March 7, 2023
  • Bartender Spotlight: March 2023
  • Under the Gaydar (March 2023 Event Calendar)

Experience Gay New Orleans

  • Gay New Orleans
  • Gay Mardi Gras
  • Gay Easter Parade
  • New Orleans Pride
  • Gay Appreciation Awards
  • Southern Decadence
  • Gay Halloween

Categories

  • A Community within Communities
  • Announcements
  • Arts & Culture
  • Bartender of the Month
  • Book Review
  • Business
  • Chop Chop
  • Commentary
  • Drag Queen Profile
  • Featured
  • Film Review
  • Financial
  • Geo Doing Geo Things
  • Health
  • Horoscopes
  • Interviews from Key West
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Moments in Queer New Orleans History
  • Museum Spotlights
  • Music
  • Musings by Catherine
  • New to New Orleans
  • News
  • Obituaries
  • Opinions
  • Pride Spotlight
  • Profiles & Spotlights
  • Sports
  • The Here and the Now
  • The Official Dish
  • The Real Cheese
  • The Rockford Files
  • Trodding the Boards
  • Uncategorized
  • Under The Gaydar

Footer

Ambush Magazine Logo

Ambush Magazine is New Orleans' and the Gulf Coast's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer entertainment, news, and travel guide since 1982.

Publisher TJ Acosta
Editor-In-Chief Reed Wendorf
Founding Publisher/Editor Rip Naquin-Delain
Senior Editor Brian Sands
Distribution George Bevan Jr

Email info@ambushpublishing.com
Phone (504) 522-8049

Recent Posts

  • Women Make History: Carnival 2023
  • An Interview with author Mark Chestnut
  • Trodding the Boards March 7, 2023
  • Bartender Spotlight: March 2023
  • Under the Gaydar (March 2023 Event Calendar)

Proud Member

Gulf South LGBT Chamber Logo

Let’s Get Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 · Ambush Publishing LLC All Rights Reserved · Website Built by Reed Wendorf · Log in