PROUD Family Health for LGBTQIA community opens Monday

SOMERVILLE – Come Monday, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Somerset will become the first hospital in the state to offer specialized primary care services for the LGBTQIA community.

PROUD Family Health at the RWJ Somerset Family Practice will open its doors and keep them open every Monday from 6 to 9 p.m., welcoming all members of the LGBTQIA community with an understanding of unique medical needs. LGBTQIA is an inclusive term including individuals self-identified as llesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer, intersex, and asexual.

The opening of PROUD Family Health is vital, necessary and timely, said Jackie Baras, a registered nurse who also facilitates the Transgender Family Support Group run through the hospital. PROUD stands for Promoting Respect, Outreach, Understanding and Dignity.

"I am a transgender woman," said Baras, quality nurse manager of perioperative services at RWJUH Somerset. "PROUD — that is exactly the vision that we have. We are catering to the LGBT family, not just the individual. Family with different ages and different conditions. And if we cannot provide the services, we will provide them with resources for specialists."

PROUD Family Health will provide services tailored to meet the unique health care needs of the LGBTQIA community in a safe, supportive environment. Services will include primary medical care for children and adults, hormone therapy and monitoring, HIV care, health education, counseling, support groups and referrals for specialty services such as behavioral health services.

Meeting needs of the LGBTQIA community

The name for PROUD Family Health derives from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s Business Resource Group (BRG) PROUD, a group of employees at the hospital’s New Brunswick and Somerset campuses who help create a positive working environment for LGBTQ employees and who also lead LGBTQ outreach and advocacy efforts.

"In 2014, I was asked to be part of the launching of BRG PROUD," Baras said. "We became consultants understanding the situation and any issues an employee may be experiencing. So the PROUD itself is a group of LGBT at Robert Wood Johnson. That's how it started and that is why the name PROUD stands there. That is exactly the mission that we have — promote respect and outreach of community services, understanding and dignity. We started by changing our human resources policies, such as putting the word 'gender identity' and 'sexual orientation.' We changed that and we also changed how they have to hire — they have to hire the community."

READ: Making a family: Center provides reproductive health treatment to LGBT couples

READ: LGBT health issues require cultural competency

READ: Somerset patriots to host first Pride Night

Read more articles and stay in touch with local news by clicking here

According to Michael Antonisades, president and chief executive officer of Robert Wood University Hospital, the health organization recognized that the needs of the LGBTQIA community were not being met.

“In many cases, LGBTQIA individuals were traveling outside of New Jersey for their medical care. PROUD Family Health will offer them the care they need close to home,” Antoniades said. "Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is committed to providing the highest quality medical care to the diverse communities that we serve.”

"Part of our initiative is to create awareness and also best practices," said Baras, who reached out to Tony Cava, chief administrative officer at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, about the need to have medical services in house for the LGBTQIA community. "There was nothing in New Jersey. Now if they wonder where will I go for my hormones, where do I go for monitoring? What if I need this? Now, you will know where to find us and the services for you."

Safe space

Cava said that the LGBTQIA community was a demographic that was overlooked. He said the germination of the idea began about eight months ago.

"It was staring us right in the face and we didn't recognize it," he said. "We have a number of transgender employees and Jackie told us there was nothing in New Jersey where the LGBT community could get its healthcare needs met. They go to New York, Boston or Philadelphia — those are the three most well known clinics in the tri-state area. Hospitals have a mission to serve the community and I think once in a while we overlook for whatever reason, the needs of certain constituencies in the community and I think this was one of those situations. We have an obligation to provide health care needs to everyone in the community. We are good at looking at certain demographics but this was a demographic that we hadn't even thought of."

Cava said that until Baras brought that fact to his attention, it had never crossed his mind that this was an issue.

"I was under the incorrect assumption that the healthcare needs of the LGBT community was being met," he added.

"Most important to our community is a safe space," Baras said. "That is very important and not every hospital provides that. We feel safe. We feel comfortable. They are welcoming."

"This was something relatively simple," Cava said. "But that the LGBT community will be able to come to one site in a safe environment that can meet their healthcare needs from a primary care perspective was something that was needed in the state of New Jersey. I'm really happy that we can provide this."

Baras explained that while physicians and medical staff may have the intention to help a patient with their medical needs, they may not have a comprehension of specific needs of the LGBTQIA community. In the LGBTQIA community, there have been long-running complaints of medical professionals being dismissive, unknowledgeable or disrespectful in the treatment of LGBTQIA patients and families. That is why many LGBTQIA travel to New York for medical services, she said.

"I don't feel they are competent to address our health care needs and a lot of them are not familiar with certain terminology," said Baras, who had a doctor that dimissed the fact that she identifies as a woman and refered to her as a man. "It was he, he, he. And some use some derogatory remarks and abusive language that a lot of people from this community — they don't want to go to the hospital or doctor unless it's too late."

Baras said there is often a stigma connected to being a member of the LGBTQIA community in its relationship to the medical field.

"Hospitals should be treating the person — regardless of race, gender, religious background, political party or whatever," Baras said. "Caring is caring. Treating is treating. We might be the first but I hope that the other hospitals will follow the footsteps because we should serve this community and it is everywhere."

"We have the same issues, maybe some in a different way," Baras added. "If I have a headache you can treat me the same way, give me the same medication. But some doctors don't feel they are comptent in giving this care."

There is also the financial issues involving insurance. Having to travel out of state for services adds to a patient's bottom line.

"So, if you go to New York, you know you are going to be out-of-pocket," Baras said. "By having it here and available in New Jersey, you don't have to travel anymore."

Cultural and sensitivity training

Baras said that all employees at RWJUH Somerset will have LGBTQIA sensitivity training. In one month, half of the staff have already completed the course given by Garden State Equality, which worked in collaboration with the hospital.

"As of today (Thursday), we have 1,100 staff have attended the cultural and sensibility training for the LGBT," Baras said. "And we are still in progress. This is a big accomplishment for the hospital and we are not stopping until we complete the entire staff. So we can be a welcoming environment and a welcoming hospital. For the PROUD Family Health, they have completed everything."

“We want every patient who comes through our doors to feel welcome and to be able to get the care that they need at all stages of their lives,” Cava said,

Members of the health care team at PROUD Family Health include Dr. Lalitha Hansch, program director of RWJ Somerset Family Practice, Donna Kaminski, DO, assistant director, RWJ Somerset Family Practice; Dr. Ian Martinez, clinical faculty at RWJ Somerset Family Practice and Melissa Rivers-Richardson, a registered nurse and nurse practitioner at RWJ Somerset Family Practice.

“From routine physicals for preventive care to hormone therapy and contraception, we will ensure that each patient receives professional, compassionate care without judgment,” Hansch said.

Cava added that Hansch and her team are "well prepared to treat LGBTQIA community patients at any time they present" that is convenient for them during the six days a week the center is open. The goal was to give the LGBTQIA community privacy and safety that was sought, Cava said.

In terms of those specific concerns, Monday nights are dedicated to the LGBTQIA family. There also are Spanish-speaking medical staff available.

The hope is that the hours will be expanded, as the need arises.

"I think the numbers are underestimated," Cava said. "What was difficult for us is that we coudn't get a handle on the numbers we thought we would see. Because of the way we collect census information it is difficult to get a handle on how someone declares themselves. So we have an estimate. I think the numbers are actually a lot larger than what we anticipate. I think it will grow."

"Now we provide primary medical care for children and adults for the LGBT community," Baras said. "They need hormone therapy. They need monitoring. HIV care, behavorial care, counseling. All of that. If there are more special needs, we can refer to the proper system."

Looking toward the future, Cava said, "once the PROUD Family Health is established and we start to see the need in the community grow, we hope to grow into surgical intervention as well."

The Transgender Family Support Group

The Human Rights Campaign has honored Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital as a Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality. In 2015, the hospital was recognized by the American Hospital Association with its Equity of Care Award and was named as one of Diversity MBA Magazine’s 50 Out Front Companies for Diversity. On Sunday, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset will be receiving The Pride Center of New Jersey’s 2016 Community Partnership Award presented for contributions and support to New Jersey’s LGBTQIA Community.

In March, RWJUH Somerset and The Pride Center of New Jersey launched the Transgender Family Support Group — the first of its kind in the region designed to help spouses, partners and adult children better understand, accept and cope with their transgender family members.

The Rev. Kandice Joyce of Madison was at the first meeting of the support group. The mother of a 19-year-old transgender daughter, Joyce was glad to have found a group where she could voice her fears and hopes freely. She looks forward to the services that PROUD Family Health will provide for her family.

"I think it's great that it is opening," said Joyce, whose child came out to her a little over a year ago at age 18. "This is specifically for people who have a trans loved one. Most meetings the trans loved one come with you and sometimes the meeting gets split, but this meeting is unique because your trans loved one is not there. You can share things like fears and concerns without being in earshot of your loved one."

Joyce said the group has been especially valuable because of the strong leadership — Baras, Pride Center president Nicole Brownstein and groups trustee Kim LaGregor — and is resources, such as documentation and medical information.

"Now it is all in one area — at least the medical piece for now — is great," said Joyce, who attends other support group meetings with her child, such as PFLAG and the Pride Center. "We had been traveling — 45 minutes here and an hour there. To have it closer and in New Jersey is great."

Group attendance numbers have ranged from six to more than 20, Joyce said.

"It just keep getting bigger," she said. "The trans popluation has been here and it's not going away. It's only getting bigger. People are feeling more safe to say 'This is who I am.' And I know people are happy with the group because they keep comng back. If we are supported we can support them better."

PROUD Family Health is open on Mondays from 6 to 9 p.m. Medicare, Medicaid and most major insurance plans are accepted. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 1-855- PROUD-FH (1-855-776-8334) or go to www.rwjuh.edu.

Staff Writer Cheryl Makin: 732-565-7256; cmakin@mycentraljersey.com