June is Pride Month, a designated time to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, pansexual, non-binary or asexual. This special observance is also an opportunity to raise awareness for the struggles, injustices and discrimination that LGBTQ+ people experience every day. As a healthcare organization, it’s particularly important for all of us to understand that this population faces a wide range of challenges in accessing and utilizing care. 

Although numerous federal policies have helped expand health insurance coverage to millions of Americans, disparities in access to care and health outcomes persist for LGBTQ+ people. According to the American Heart Association, nearly 75 percent of LGBTQ+ adults reported experiencing discrimination while seeking medical treatment, and the majority of transgender people also reported a significant lack of provider knowledge related to their identity. As a result, these patients spend more time explaining their LGBTQ-specific medical needs to their providers, and less time getting the necessary treatment.  

At Community Medical Center, we believe everyone deserves access to compassionate, quality healthcare, including those in our communities who identify as LGBTQ+.

To learn more about Pride Month and important issues affecting LGBTQ+ people, check out these helpful links: 

• LGBTQ+ resources from the Johns Hopkins' Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity 
• A list of health goals for LGBTQ+ populations from the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion 
• Ways to be an LGBTQ+ patient ally 
• A glossary of terms relevant to LGBTQ+ issues 

To our LGBTQ+ team members, Community Medical Center is proud of the unique, diverse qualities each of you bring to our company and to our patients, partners and communities we serve. Thank you for all you do each day to advance our mission of making communities healthier.