NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi announced the opening of its new comprehensive Pride Health Center on Oct. 15. The center will serve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning/queer (LGBTQ) patients as they receive high-quality, culturally competent, respectful care in the hospital’s state-of-the-art facility.
The new Pride Health Center will provide LGBTQ-affirming care for a variety of services, including primary care, adolescent care, OB/GYN, family planning services, behavioral health, dental services, ophthalmology, hormone therapy, testing for sexually transmitted infections and HIV, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and more. Social work support will also be available for patients to assist with continuity of care.
“Each Pride Health Center our public health system opens demonstrates our level of commitment to ensure every single New Yorker has access to culturally sensitive and respectful health care,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Chief Diversity Officer Matilde Roman. “This group of patients have been excluded from competent care for far too long, and we recognize our responsibility to make sure to provide a welcoming environment that affirms their right to receive expert care they need most.”
The center will have sessions on Thursday afternoons from 1:30 p.m.-5 p.m. and will have a cadre of full-time dedicated providers who are supported by a team of nurses, administrators and patient care associates. In addition to center hours, LGBTQ-affirming care is available 24/7 at Jacobi via the Emergency and Ambulatory Care departments.
This is the latest in a long history of services NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi has made over the years to provide care to the LGBTQ community. Jacobi pioneered the first HIV/AIDS daycare in the nation back in the 1980s. In 2018, the hospital was recognized by the Human Rights Campaign as being a “Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equity,” and in 2019 opened a “health and empowerment center” for sexual health services. This year also marked the fifth annual LGBTQ pride event at Jacobi.
“Congratulations to NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi on the opening of the new Pride Health Center,” said said U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman. “It’s far too common for our LGBTQ+ family and community members to experience discrimination and barriers to essential health services. They deserve access to care that affirms and supports their physical and mental health needs. Thank you to the hospital staff and administration for making this stride forward for health equity.”
NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln also opened a new comprehensive Gender Affirming Integrated Services Practice, dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning/queer (LGBTQ) patients in June.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan was the first public hospital to open a health center dedicated to the health care of LGBTQ patients and has since expanded health services for transgender patients, including gender-affirming surgeries and increased access to hormone therapy. In addition to the pride health centers, NYC Health + Hospitals will continue to provide services to LGBTQ youth through their Bridge Program at NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Judson Health Center, which offers a one stop shop for adolescents’ medical, mental health services and other support services, with specialized expertise in servicing this audience.
For more information about any of the pride health centers at NYC Health + Hospitals or to make an appointment, please contact 844-NYC-4NYC (1-844-692-4692).
