Center Advocates for Fair Treatment of LGBT People in NYC Hospitals
LGBT people often avoid medical treatment because they have been treated poorly by health practitioners in the past or because they fear stigma and marginalization because of who they are. Many studies confirm the harsh treatment LGBT people experience in health care settings.
Lesbian Cancer Initiative (LCI) Coordinator Cristina Moldow, Gender Identity Project Community Prevention Coordinator Cristina Herrera, and LCI Intern Kaz Mitchell
At a recent joint City Council hearing held by the Committee on Civil Rights and Committee on Health, two Center staff members and an intern testified in favor of strong LGBT cultural competency training in New York City’s public hospitals. Gender Identity Project Community Prevention Coordinator Cristina Herrera, Lesbian Cancer Initiative (LCI) Coordinator Cristina Moldow, and LCI Intern Kaz Mitchell all urged the City Council to support and bolster efforts by New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) to require trainings that ensure all LGBT people are treated with the utmost respect in city hospitals, and develop robust standards to evaluate the progress of such endeavors.
As Herrera, Moldow and Mitchell all noted:
“LGBT people underutilize care largely due to fear of, and past experiences of discrimination and mistreatment. A long-standing community history of violence and abuse has left many community members mistrusting, especially where physical contact is concerned. Oftentimes it’s difficult for people to find a medical provider who has experience working with LGBT patients, let alone a comfort level.”
Our Center advocates stressed the vital need for respectful, patient-centered and culturally competent healthcare services for the thousands of LGBT patients served by public hospitals and community health centers every year; they also offered the Center’s continued expertise and resources to help make this a reality. The Center is pleased to help the city in its efforts to make New York City public hospitals safe, welcoming settings for all LGBT people.
