Projects
We are proud to share our advocacy and collaboration throughout the community with you.
LGBTQ+ Healthcare Experiences in Grand Rapids Survey Data -
In addition to several data sources, 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 is an ongoing survey and provides an opportunity for all voices to be heard.
Check out the results here!
Community Health Needs Assessment -
Community Health Needs Assessment 2020 is lead by the Kent County Health Department in collaboration with local health systems and multiple community partners. In addition to questions about health, they survey also seeks opinions about the social determinates of health such as transportation, housing and access to parks and recreation.
This year’s survey also asks questions related to impacts of COVID-19. The co-facilitators of the Grand Rapids LGBTQ+ Healthcare Consortium are on the steering committee to ensure the LGBTQ+ community is represented and will be able to use the data to help guide future goals.
Monthly Healthcare Consortium Meetings -
A group of healthcare providers and community partners convene monthly to establish communication and support for each other’ efforts. The meetings center around the Consortium’s mission of.
The 60-minute meetings provide a trusting, friendly, and creative environment to enable healthcare members and community partners to express ideas and present programming related to decreasing health disparities for the LGBTQ+ population in the Grand Rapids area. A typical agenda contains a guest, updates in the community, healthcare wins & barriers, and committee overviews.
PrEP Advocacy -
Pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP is a daily medicine that can reduce HIV transmission. There is little scientific collected data in West Michigan than indicates the prevalence of PrEP usage in this area.
However, many people have anecdotally reported barriers with obtaining PrEP prescriptions from their primary health care provider or have little to no resources of finding a provider that will meet their needs.
In 2017 to the present, the Grand Rapids LGBTQ+ Healthcare Consortium began discussing this issue and provided a place for healthcare organizations to identify strategies and communicate with each other.