As a Top Performer in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality, Hilltown Community Health Center (HCHC) is committed to equitable, inclusive care for LGBTQ+ patients, and their families, who can face significant challenges in securing the quality health care and respect they deserve.
HCHC management wants to ensure that HCHC eliminates bias and insensitivity toward LGBTQ+ patients, and ensures appropriate, welcoming interactions. Recognizing that this is an on-going and long-term process, the organization is laying out basic resources to help in serving this community. Each of these areas is critically important to ensuring that our patients feel welcome and receive appropriate care.
Below are listed numerous resources for our LGBTQ+ patients looking for more information about their health care and other issues. HCHC does not endorse or vouch for any of the resources listed, but hope that they will be helpful in your search for more information. Of course, you should always talk to your provider, who may be able to give you specific information or referrals.
The National LGBT Health Education Center: The National LGBT Health Education Center provides educational programs, resources, and consultation to health care organizations with the goal of optimizing quality, cost-effective health care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.
American Medical Association: Resources and Literature for Clinicians on LGBT Health Topics
The Joint Commission: This field guide from The Joint Commission urges U.S. hospitals to create a more welcoming, safe and inclusive environment that contributes to improved health care quality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) patients and their families. The Field Guide features a compilation of strategies, practice examples, resources, and testimonials designed to help hospitals in their efforts to improve communication and provide more patient- centered care to their LGBT patients.
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health: The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), formerly known as the (Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association (HBIGDA), is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, interdisciplinary professional and educational organization devoted to transgender health. Our professional, supporting, and student members engage in clinical and academic research to develop evidence-based medicine and strive to promote a high quality of care for transsexual, transgender, and gender-nonconforming individuals internationally.
The Center of Excellence for Transgender Health: University of California San Francisco’s Center of Excellence has guidelines for primary care and gender affirming care, as well as multiple resources for transgender patients and providers alike including handouts on fertility, and sexual health for transwomen and (separately) transmen, as well as ample documents aimed at providers and organizers.
The Fenway Institute’s National LGBT Health Education Center: The Fenway Health Transgender Health Program (THP) produced these protocols for clinicians in primary care settings to best serve their transgender patients. The mission of Fenway Health is to enhance the wellbeing of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities and all people in our neighborhood and beyond. As part of that larger mission, the THP seeks to promote and support knowledgeable and comprehensive care to transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) persons in an environment that is comfortable, safe, and affirming.
Callen-Lorde (NYC) has some brochures on trans health, including Ways to be An Ally Comic; Medical Emergency Planning Tips for T/GNC People; T/GNC People and PrEP; brochures about binding, tucking, silicone, and voice therapy; and a copy of their hormone protocols.
Wade & Horowitz LLC, 1309 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA 02446 Phone:(617) 738-1919 Attorneys provide legal services to assist with the making and implementation of important life decisions in the areas of Estate Planning (from basic Wills to Trusts & Tax Planning), Elder Law including Medicaid and Disability Planning and Guardianships and Probate Administration and Litigation. In addition to traditional legal planning, the firm specializes in work with non-traditional families.
horowitz@wadehorowitz.com
Law Office of Leila J Wons, Leila J Wons ESQ 1900 West Park Drive, Westborough, Ma 01582 Phone:(508) 986-9406 Leila’s concentrates on family law including: divorce, modifications, contempt, adoption, restraining orders, paternity and same sex domestic relations matters, LGBT Family Law.
Lian, Zarrow, Eynon, Shea, and Spofford Attorneys at Law, 34 Mechanic Street, Worcester, MA Phone:(508) 799-4461 Family law, Elder law, Estate planning, wills, and trusts, Same Sex Family Law.
Mediation Advantage Services, 45 Linden Street, Worcester, MA 01609 Phone: (508) 795-1557
The Law Office of Polly A. Tatum is pleased to represent clients in the gay and lesbian community in matters concerning their families. Also offers divorce and family law mediation services to married partners or unmarried domestic partners as well as adoption services to parties wishing to adopt their spouse’s children. They assist same sex couples with estate planning, relationship agreements and dissolution agreements.
The LGBTQ cancer network has articles on gay men & cancer, lesbians & cancer, bisexuals and cancer, T/GNC people and cancer, HIV and cancer, HPV and cancer, and breast reconstruction in L/B women. There are specific articles on different cancers. They’re not structured as brochures but are aimed at patients and could easily be printed:
The National Resource Center on LGBT Aging has a lot of handouts on practical matters, resources include how to plan for recovery from a surgery and caregiving in the LGBT community:
The Reproductive Health Access Project, for patient and provider handouts on reproductive health, has a recent and very nice handout on Birth Control Across the Gender Spectrum. You can purchase copies in bulk, or download them for free.
Transgender Emergency Fund (TEF) 85 Green Street Worcester, MA 508.755.3773- TEF was created to provide critical assistance to low-income transgender people. Through the fund’s intervention, transpeople in Massachusetts have been able to avoid homelessness, maintain access to health care, and live with greater dignity and stability.
MASSACHUSETTS (STATE-WIDE) The Network / La Red Hotline: 617.742.4911 (voice) • 617.227.4911 (TTY)-The Network/La Red is a survivor-led, social justice organization that works to end partner abuse in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, BDSM, polyamorous, and queer communities.
Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project (GMDVP) 24-Hour Emergency Hotline: 1.800.832.1901- GMDVP assists and supports victims and survivors of domestic violence – focusing on the GLBTQ community – to bring about responsive public policy and to increase access to culturally competent services.
Gay and Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) 30 Winter Street, Suite 800 Boston, MA glad.org Legal Info Line: 1.800.455.GLAD GLAD is New England’s leading legal rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status, and gender identity and expression.
Gay Lesbian Medical Association-Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality
CDC Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Health
Scholarship Funds for Transgender Surgeries Jim Collins Fund Scholarship Fund
CK Life Surgery Scholarship Fund
Electrology Institute (low price clinic for electrology) Tewsksbury, MA 800.548.6339
