Network to Team in Leading First LGBT Cultural Competency Trainings for Nat’l Health Service Corps

by Emilia Dunham

Program Associate

A while back the National LGBT Cancer Network and the Network for LGBT Health Equity were asked to do the first LGBT cultural competency webinar for the National Health Service Corps. Likely sparked by their amazing training for the Institute for Diversity in Health Management, this dynamic team returns to lead the first ever LGBT training for this organization.

We’re further excited that it’s happening this week! Thursday, October 6th Scout and Liz Margolies (the Cancer Network) will be doing two 90 minute webinars for them overall, with a training the following Thursday. To indicate the sheer reach of these webinars, the National Health Service Corps has 9,000 member providers (mostly doctors, dentists, & mental health providers), so we’re hoping a big chunk of them will sign up to do the webinars live, but they will also be available on their web for continued access. To further describe how important this training is, most members of NHSC are or were students, so they are early in their careers. Therefore, by educating them early, it make a bigger difference down the line. Also, at least half of NHSC members work in low-income health centers, which LGBT people more often fall into and low-income LGBT people have even more health disparities, so that’s something important about these trainings as well.

Given the size of this membership and the fact this is their first member-wide LGBT training, we’re thrilled to be leading the tremendous advances in LGBT trainings. Once again, we’re so grateful for Scout and Liz for the amazing work and leadership they have in educating providers and other health workers on LGBT knowledge.