Here in the United States, the LGBTQ community's most recent victory came when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the freedom to marry. Now the Equality Movement faces its next battle: equal access to healthcare for LGBTQ people and their families.
With open enrollment for health insurance beginning November 1, the LGBTQ community has another opportunity to access comprehensive healthcare coverage available under the Affordable Care Act. But what good is health insurance if you can't find a culturally competent provider, one that gets who you are and where you're coming from?
Healthcare staff who are not culturally competent in LGBTQ health can be a barrier to care, resulting in the avoidance of seeking care altogether and in the long term, poor health outcomes for LGBTQ patients. All too often, we hear that members of our community are unintentionally provided false or outdated information by their doctors and care professionals, due to a lack of proper training. Personally, I have been surprised at the lack of knowledge by professionals working in the field. Traditional medical and nursing education programs have not included LGBTQ health content in their curricula. As a result, I have seen instructors inadvertently misinform their students and provide out-of-date information simply because they themselves did not have the opportunity to learn about LGBTQ healthcare.
Because of this, I'm reminded of how critical the work we do in the education department at Howard Brown Health to support LGBTQ healthcare across the Chicago area, Midwest, and United States. As a leading organization in LGBTQ healthcare since 1974, we serve more than 20,000 adults and youth each year in our diverse health and social services programs, focusing on clinical care, research, education and advocacy.
In the U.S., the healthcare industry is responding to the needs of the LGBTQ community at a rapid rate. As a healthcare professional, I'm so pleased to see these advances in our community's care develop in such a short period of time. But it's not coming soon enough. As the medical field adapts, it must do so accurately and comprehensivelybecause peoples' lives are at stake. These topics are specialized, delicate and require knowledge of content not typically included in traditional medical and nursing education programs.
To ensure that medical professionals serving queer patients are equipped with the most accurate and up-to-date information, Howard Brown Health has partnered with Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center to host a symposium on LGBTQ health next month that will offer 13 CE ( Continued Education ) hours to eligible clinicians and attendees.
Confirmed speakers include Joanne Keatley, MSW, former Director of the University of California San Francisco ( UCSF ), Center of Excellence for Transgender Health; Sgt. Shane Ortega, U.S. Army Sergeant in the 25th Infantry Division and Outspoken Transgender Rights Advocate; Other leaders and experts in LGBTQ healthcare.
Among the topics addressed include Quality Measurement of Satisfaction Among Patients; Updated Guidelines for the Primary and Gender-Affirming Care of Transgender and Gender Non-binary people; Review of Lesbian Health Disparities and Recent Research; Care for HIV-positive Seniors; Developments in Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis ( PrEP ); Barriers faced in HIV testing among gay and bisexual men; Health Disparities Among Bisexual Populations; LGBTQ Fertility Options; and many more.
The Midwest LGBTQ Health Symposium will be held at the Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood on Thursday, October 6 through Friday, October 7. For more information and ticket registration visit: http://www.midwestlgbtqhealthsymposium.eventbrite.com/
Cecilia Hardacker, Director of Education at Howard Brown Health, lives in Chicago's Berwyn neighborhood, with her partner of 23 years, their pitbull and two cats.