UofL's LGBT Health Certificate program concludes record-breaking year

The 2018-2019 LGBT Health Certificate program concluded earlier this month with a celebratory reception. This year, UofL had 93 certificate recipients who completed the series, making it the most successful academic year of the program to date.

The celebration was attended by certificate recipients, in addition to Dean Craig Blakely (School of Public Health and Information Sciences), Dean Toni Ganzel (School of Medicine), Dean Sonya Hardin (School of Nursing), and Associate Dean Dr. Margaret Hill (School of Dentistry).

“It’s incredibly powerful to witness such a large amount of providers, students and community members take advantage of the training opportunities made available through the certificate program. Research shows that the health disparities that exist among LGBTQ+ community are quite significant. These current and future providers are doing the work to help better understand how to close this gap,” said Aaron Weathers, assistant director of the LGBT Center, Health Sciences Center.

In order to receive the LGBT Health Certificate, all 93 certificate awardees were required to participate in at least four content modules, available in-person and online, which covered a broad range of topics related to LGBTQ+ health. Additionally, participants were also required to attend a patient simulation session in which LGBTQ+ community members acted out patient encounters with participants based on real-life scenarios and offer feedback.

"The LGBT Health Certificate program is a great example of our institution’s commitment to programs that support inclusive excellence and health equity," Ganzel said. "It makes me so proud of the faculty, staff and students who completed this program, and now have a better understanding of how to effectively support our LGBTQ students and colleagues, in addition to gaining a better understanding of the unique healthcare needs of our LGBTQ patients."

Information about the 2019-20 LGBT Health Certificate Series will be announced this summer.