How to find an LGBTQIA+-affirming healthcare provider in NYC
Finding medical professionals who not only listen to you but also provide the care you need can feel overwhelming, especially when facing limitations based on income or insurance. For LGBTQIA+ individuals, this experience can be even more challenging as you seek someone who offers gender-affirming care, can have nonjudgmental discussions about sexual health, or who … Read More
Finding medical professionals who not only listen to you but also provide the care you need can feel overwhelming, especially when facing limitations based on income or insurance. For LGBTQIA+ individuals, this experience can be even more challenging as you seek someone who offers gender-affirming care, can have nonjudgmental discussions about sexual health, or who respects your personal health agenda.
The good news? Affirming and supportive healthcare providers exist — from primary care and urgent care to dentistry and beyond. To guide you, I spoke with three New York City providers who shared their best advice for finding LGBTQIA+-friendly care.
Mark Deguzman with Callen-Lorde staff members.Callen-Lorde[/caption]
Logan Handwerk, a physician assistant at NYU Langone Medical Associates—Chelsea, adds that it’s okay to be unclear about what screenings or services you’re looking for.
“If it's just a general screening and ‘I don't know what I need,’ then that's a really good place to start with finding an LGBTQ+ provider," Handwerk says. "Finding somebody you're comfortable to be honest with is probably your best first step if you don't know what your needs already are.”
Dr. Alice Hoang of Brooklyn Mint and her family.Dr. Alice Hoang[/caption]
Reflect on Your Health Goals
Mark Deguzman, the medical director of Callen-Lorde's Bronx location, advises patients to “go into your first appointment with your top three health goals — make some notes if that helps keep you on track. When you have a clear vision for what you want to achieve with your health, it will help the provider provide options for you to consider.” [caption id="attachment_54931" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Mark Deguzman with Callen-Lorde staff members.Callen-Lorde[/caption]
Logan Handwerk, a physician assistant at NYU Langone Medical Associates—Chelsea, adds that it’s okay to be unclear about what screenings or services you’re looking for.
“If it's just a general screening and ‘I don't know what I need,’ then that's a really good place to start with finding an LGBTQ+ provider," Handwerk says. "Finding somebody you're comfortable to be honest with is probably your best first step if you don't know what your needs already are.”
Tap Your Trusted Community for Recommendations
Discussing health concerns can be a very vulnerable experience, but your chosen family can be an invaluable resource. Deguzman recommends that you “think about your most trusted network of people whose life experience is similar to yours and ask them who their healthcare providers are and if they have had a good experience there. Of course, everyone’s interactions will be different, so it isn’t 100%, but there is a higher likelihood that if your LGBTQ+ network has had a good experience, then you will too.” Dr. Alice Hoang, a founding partner of Brooklyn Mint Dental and former staff member at Callen-Lorde, sees firsthand how a positive experience resonates with queer patients. “Word of mouth just kind of gets out when you treat patients,” she shares. Simple gestures, like asking for someone’s pronouns, create lasting impacts.Research Providers’ LGBTQIA+ Experience
Even with a trusted recommendation, it’s crucial that you still take the time to research potential providers. Look at their biographies and online presence to understand their education, training, focus areas, and mindset. “I say this to patients: It's not the place, it's the person. It's actually the human that you're interacting with,” says Dr. Hoang. "Biographies can reveal a lot, as anyone that wants to and chooses to go through [training for gender-affirming care] is likely very proud that they have done that.” Handwerk adds that “something that unfortunately is true about medicine and health is that you're not always taught the ins and outs of queer health when you're in school. And so you kind of have to learn that after school, wherever you're training or wherever you're doing that work.” His NYU Langone biography states that he specializes in LGBTQ+ care, specifically gay men's health. Additionally, Deguzman warns of a red flag on websites — talking about LGBTQ+ competent care and HIV care together as one thing.Assess Your Comfort Level From the Start
While you might feel nervous visiting a physician for the first time, your comfort should begin the moment you step into a provider’s office. Deguzman emphasizes, “Make sure you are comfortable not only with the provider but with the nursing staff, the referral team and everyone in the office…Many LGBTQ+ people have developed a gut sense of whether they belong or not. Check in with yourself and listen to how the place makes you feel.” Dr. Hoang’s practice, where many staff members are incidentally a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, demonstrates the power of an inclusive experience for anyone. “It's not intentionally targeted at the LGBTQIA+ community, but just being so open and nonjudgmental attracts anyone that is over getting judged,” she explains. [caption id="attachment_54930" align="alignleft" width="436"] Dr. Alice Hoang of Brooklyn Mint and her family.Dr. Alice Hoang[/caption]
Know That Building Trust Is on the Provider, Not You.
For many queer people, not feeling seen is a common frustration. Providers must earn your trust, and that responsibility is on the provider — not you as the patient. At Brooklyn Mint Dental, they have an optional ‘Handle me with Care’ intake form for all new patients, allowing them to tailor their treatment to each person’s goals, interests, and needs. For example, check off on the form if you have high dental anxiety, if you feel out of control in the dental chair, or if you’re anxious about injections. “With someone that's proactive, I will have a very different approach than someone that is reactive. Because people determine what level of health that they want for their lives. That is again not something I can assume or judge,” shared Dr. Hoang.Feel confident that you can find the care you need.
Fortunately, there are numerous tools to help you locate LGBTQIA+-affirming providers:- NYC Health offers a map to connect you with local providers, and patients can type in LGBTQ+ on the NYU Langone website to find someone.
- Community health centers like Callen-Lorde are a good starting point for your health journey — with all locations accepting new patients. Additionally, they have a TransAtlas to connect transgender and nonbinary patients with a wider network of providers who have been vetted by their surgical doula team, the medical director of transgender healthcare care, and the trans and nonbinary community.
- The Tegan and Sara Foundation and GLMA — the world's largest and oldest association of LGBTQ+ healthcare professionals — created a free LGBTQ+ healthcare directory for queer people in the USA and Canada.
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