A New Jersey hospital that launched LGBT primary-care services earlier this year is now gearing up to host a conference on LGBT health-care needs.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset and Garden State Equality will host New Jersey’s first Healthcare Conference for the LGBT Community Oct. 6 in Bridgewater.
Garden State Equality Executive Director Christian Fuscarino said in a statement that his organization is “proud” to partner with RWJUH Somerset to present the inaugural conference “focused on educating LGBT individuals about their rights to empower them to get the health care they need.”
“Health care is a big concern for members of the LGBT community, who often experience stigma, discrimination and outright denial of care because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Fuscarino said.
The conference will focus on topics such as civil rights, intersectionality and federal support services. Additionally, Rutgers University law professor Christina Ho will discuss LGBT health-care coverage under the Affordable Care Act during her keynote speech. She called this particular conference “fantastic.”
“It’s incredibly important that all communities mobilize around health,” Ho said. “Health is a political lightning rod. It really is one of the most intimate and important issues, and it’s highly politicized. Sometimes, it’s about communities [and] their ability to flourish and thrive. This [conference] is an expression of that, and you’re going to see it more and more.”
RWJUH opened its PROUD Family Health office to offer specialized care for the LGBT community Jan. 30. In the leadup to the opening of the office, RWJUH President Tony Cava said the hospital’s leadership developed a relationship with Garden State Equality, which provided trainings for hospital staff. Sanofi, a pharmaceutical company, approached RWJUH to coordinate a conference.
Cava said the hospital’s team, Garden State Equality and the Pride Center of New Jersey put together an agenda for the conference and Sanofi accepted it, awarding them a grant to support the free conference.
Cava said he would like to see the conference become an annual event, noting this is a “great opportunity to serve a community that’s been underserved, particularly in New Jersey.” He added that LGBT people living in the state will often go to major cities for care.
“It’s all about awareness,” Cava said. “It’s getting the message out there and having people feel comfortable talking about it, and sharing a lot of information that sometimes is only done through social media, or means like that, rather than opening a public forum.”
The free Healthcare Conference for the LGBT Community will be held 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Raritan Valley Country Club, 747 State Route 28, Bridgewater, N.J. Call 888-MD-RWJUH to register.