One in 3 LGBTQ+ adults say they were treated unfairly by a healthcare worker, compared to 15% of non-LGBTQ+ adults, according to a KFF report released in April. And when patients don’t feel safe or accepted in healthcare settings, they often avoid them.
“Feeling ‘othered’ or stigmatized has a big impact on health outcomes,” said Aniruddha Hazra, MD, an internal medicine physician at the University of Chicago Medicine. “By creating a space where LGBTQ+ folks feel welcome, we can engage and retain them in care.”
UChicago Medicine provides a breadth of LGBTQ+ health services — including primary care, reproductive medicine and gender-affirming care — designed to deliver a positive, personal experience at every step of the care journey.
All staff, from physicians to frontline workers, are trained to treat LGBTQ+ patients with respect. Students at the Pritzker School of Medicine learn about the healthcare needs of gender and sexual minorities. Clinicians wear badges that display their preferred pronouns.
“We want to create an aura of comfort,” Hazra said.
In May, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation gave UChicago Medicine its eighth consecutive LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation. The award recognizes policies and practices related to the equity and inclusion of LGBTQ+ patients, visitors and employees.
“That’s a high bar, and I’m proud we continue to achieve that designation,” said Iris Romero, MD, MS, a UChicago Medicine OB-GYN. “We want to provide competent care, no matter what part of the organization LGBTQ+ patients interact with.”
Respect for identity, privacy
As part of UChicago Medicine’s We Ask Because We Care program, UChicago Medicine patients are given the opportunity to self-disclose their sexual and gender identities when speaking with employees such as call center staff and doctors.
This information, provided voluntarily, can go in a person’s protected electronic medical records to build trust and help doctors provide optimal care.
“A good medical record has to reflect the patient’s life journey; we ask not because we’re nosy or have an agenda,” said Romero, who is also Executive Vice Dean of the Biological Sciences Division at UChicago and the Pritzker School of Medicine.
“It’s so important to have an environment that is safe and affirming so that LGBTQ+ individuals get the healthcare they need and the experience they deserve,” Romero said.
Hazra, whose practice primarily focuses on sexual health and wellness, including LGBTQ health, said that patients of all backgrounds should feel comfortable speaking to UChicago Medicine doctors.
A conversation might entail sensitive topics or issues; no question is taboo.
“I’m an HIV-STI doctor, and this is what I do on a day-to-day basis: I provide non-judgmental, comprehensive sexual healthcare that meets patients where they’re at,” Hazra said.
LGBTQ+ health services at UChicago Medicine
LGBTQ+ patients at UChicago Medicine have many resources to maintain, improve or evolve their health. Among them:
“UChicago Medicine embraces same-sex parenting and has resources to make that happen,” Romero said. She noted that REI enabled her and her wife to have their two daughters.
No matter their needs, “LGBTQ+ patients should feel comfortable coming to UChicago Medicine because we provide them with competent care that affirms them and their families,” Romero said. “In healthcare, that’s not always a given, but for us, that’s a baseline.”