Our Projects
framework
We continue to carry out our vision to improve health equity within the LGBTQ+ community. The below principles form the foundation of all of our projects.
Encouraging originality and opening doors for
individuals
Continuing the conversation within
communities
Connecting resources & ensuring equity within
systems
Coming soon
Alzheimers Out Loud
Alzheimer’s Out Loud is an annual half day summit sharing information on Alzheimer’s in the LGBTQ community. Each year has a theme, a keynote speaker and a panel discussion. This year’s theme is Then And Now, we’ll be looking at what’s changed, what hasn’t, and what still needs to change for our eldering LGBTQIA individuals related to dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Med PATH Mentors
This October will will launch our second offering of Med PATH Mentors. This program pairs high school students interested in entering healthcare with a mentor. Programming also features monthly meetings discussing a variety of topics including: case studies, healthcare career exploration, college enrollment supports, and much more. Want to be a mentee or mentor? Sign up begins August 2024.
Sexual health Toolkit
Coming soon: the Sexual Health Toolkit! This toolkit will be availible for patients and providers to gain access to sexual health and STI resources.
In progress
Health education series
Each month of 2024, speakers within healthcare present on various topics pertaining to LGBTQ+ health. Since trust was listed as one of the top five problems within LGBTQ+ spaces, our hope is to bridge trust between healthcare providers and LGBTQ+ community members.
LGBTQ+ Patient Navigator Program
Our LGBTQ Patient Navigator can help individuals get connected with affirming providers as well as help with enrolling or reenrolling into Medicaid. The Patient Navigator can also help support LGBTQIA individuals on their health care journey in many ways.
Med path mentors
Med PATH Mentors is a mentorship group for high school students who will pursue a career in healthcare. They are each paired with a healthcare professional as they navigate the next steps in their future. This program features a variety of activities hosted in a mix of virtual and in person settings with opportunities to explore the health professions. Enrollment begins each August with meetings starting each October through June.
This workgroup brings representatives from the various Medicaid plans and healthcare providers to discuss barriers for care LGBTQIA individuals face, and look for ways to remove these barriers while streamlining care.
Provider/insurance workgroup
Community Health Needs Assessment
Community Health Needs Assessment is lead by the Kent County Health Department in collaboration with local health systems and multiple community partners. The survey seeks opinions about the social determinates of health such as transportation, housing and access to parks and recreation. Assessments are completed every 3 years.
Dessemination Efforts
We continue to look for opportunities to partner, share, and develop professional connections across the healthcare ecosystem and more. This includes presenting at various professional conferences as we seek to close gaps in knowledge and care.
Past speaking engagements: Michigan Chpt.: American Psychiatric Nurses Association, American Health Information Management Association’s Assembly on Education Symposium, and the Michigan Primary Care Association Annual Conference.
Upcoming speaking engagements: Come see Dr. Knight speak about the PrEP/HIV Toolkit project at the National LGBTQ+ Health Conference OR GLMA's Annual Conference on LGBTQ+ Health.
Completed
PrEP & Hiv toolkit
The PrEP and HIV Toolkit was created by Jay Knight and Ella Lafata. This toolkit was designed for community members and healthcare providers to understand HIV risk, understand the utility of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a HIV antiretroviral medication, and to support informed decision-making.
Master’s thesis project
The Consortium mentored and sponsored Juliana Keeney for her Master’s Thesis Project. Keeney focused on epidemiology and highlighted advocacy work to close gaps in care. Statistics were gathered from the analysis “2019 National Health Interview Survey Respondents.” Keeney notes that there are limitations to this study such as having a 2 gender category, the absence of transgender data, and limited sexual orientation data. Unless noted, the results were statistically significant.
Health Experience Survey
The Consortium consistently collects data from the Grand Rapids area to make sure our projects and efforts reflect community needs. One attempt to do so includes the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Experiences in Grand Rapids Survey. This ongoing survey provides an opportunity for all voices to be heard.
Food For Health
Food for Health was developed in response to findings from the Grand Rapids Community Health Assessment and a study by UCLA's Williams Institute in July 2022, which underscored high levels of food insecurity among LGBTQ+ individuals. This initiative serves as a crucial resource, offering access to food distribution and assistance, alongside nutritious recipes that incorporate items typically found in food baskets, pantries, food clubs, and dollar stores.
Councils & Committies
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Community Connector
Health Equity Council
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Chronic Disease Task Force
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Steering Committee
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Patient Advisory Council
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STI Alliance of Kent County
Welcome Plan Kent County
