- Three staff members were hired: Nicole Sutton, Project Administrator; Julie Balter, Social Media and Project Specialist; Juan Carlos Vegas, Policy Manager.
- We ran an audition for a new researcher consultant for the Huffington Post Wellness Roundup and hired Susana Fajardo.
- Scout traveled to HealthLink’s homebase office in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to conduct in-person training with new staff, with an in-depth focus on LGBT cancer-related issues. We also reviewed and revised the Year-Two Action Plan to steer the team on track for their individual roles and responsibilities within the project.
- Scout, Daniella, and Julie attended the 2015 Creating Change Conference. HealthLink sponsored an information booth with resources to promote our work and create linkages with potential partners. One highlight of Creating Change: Equality Florida reached out to us to forge a partnership and testbed some of our community organizational best practices for wellness.
- At the request of American Legacy Foundation, we’ve engaged in preliminary discussions with their organization about youth smoking.
- Daniella presented at CADCA National Leadership Forum in Washington, DC. The topic of the presentation was LGBT Engagement in Coalition Building. This was an invited presentation and a great way to collaborate with our sister network (Geographic Health Equity Alliance).
- Our Steering Committee chair, Corey Prachniak, presented at Equality Florida’s Town Hall Meeting on Feb. 10, This meeting highlighted our Healthcare Bill of Rights and the Out2Enroll deadline. Over 1,000 people attended. Their attendant press release generated two follow-up media interviews on radio with Dr. Scout and one mainstream-media newspaper story in The Sun Sentinel (which mentioned higher cancer rates):.
- Scout and HealthLink’s other sibling networks planned the agenda and roles for their upcoming disparity data presentation on the Surveillance and Evaluation teleconference.
- Our team attended a TA (Tech Assistant) and Partnership call with the TIPS 2015 Media Campaign staff. We reviewed the plan and advised how to identify and pinpoint effective media outlets for the 2015 launch.
- Triangle Community Center in Norwalk, Connecticut, is continuing their data collection for needs assessment. They have extended their deadline into March, 2015. We are working closely with this organization to ensure the success of their efforts.
- Our evaluators finished preliminary data runs for all five Michigan needs assessments (one statewide and for local sites). Approximately 450 slides of outcome data were delivered to the sites for review.
- We posted a transcript of the speech Scout presented to the LGBT Health Funders Summit in January on our blog: Building a Culture of Health in the LGBT Communities.
- We are currently planning for the following upcoming trainings/trips:
- March 7 – Although we are unable to attend an Iowa LGBT health event, we are sending resources and slides.
- March 13 to 16 – Trip to Philly for meeting with WayGay Center ED and Haas LGBT Media Convening.
- March 18th – Indiana Department of Health and respective partners. The DOH’s goal is to increase their tobacco report card letter grade from C to and A. We will also meet with their cancer-representative team.
- April 14-15 – Florida-based HealthLink site visit by CDC project officers.
- April 20-22 – West Virginia visit to present to a variety of audiences.
- May 4-5 – Maine Department of Health Tobacco Control Conference
- May 8-9 – Puerto Rico for last Best and Promising Practices in Cancer meeting. (planning is underway for the full meeting). This is the second meeting of this group and will be the last step before we can finalize the new Best Practices document.
February HealthLink blogs (all titles are links):
- Missouri Case Study 11 – Reviewing LGBT Welcoming Policies in Rural Missouri Hospitals
- Building a Culture of Health in the LGBT Communities
- Ending Exclusions Under Obama
- Pressure Building To End Trans Exclusion Under Obamacare
- January 2015 HealthLink Update
February Huffington Post LGBT Wellness Roundups:
LGBT Wellness Roundup Feb. 10GBT and Post-Cancer Distress
• Out2Enroll: Deadline Draws Near!
• Truth About Transgender Children and Gender Identification
• E-Cigarettes: Socially Contagious for LGBT Population
• White House Bumps Up Budget for LGBT Health Spending
- Coming Out Early Pays Off Later
- Promoting LGBT Rights Globally
- Black Gay Men and HIV: Staggering Statistics
- Cervical Cancer Risks for Lesbians
- Pride High! New LGBT School
- Gay Dating Apps: An Appeal for HIV Awareness
- Trauma for Trans Inmates in Immigration Jails
- Next LGBT Battleground? Healthcare!
- Medical Students Flunk LGBT 101
- The Garden State Sows Access to LGBT Healthcare
LGBT Wellness Roundup: Feb. 27
- Bisexuals stand out
- LGBT Healthcare Bill of Rights
- CDC reports 9 of 10 new infections arise from untreated HIV
- Feds extend 2 major new protections to LGBT persons
- Report finds link between LGBT rights & quality of life
- Is teen suicide socially contagious?
- Sexy senior health campaign
LGBT HealthLink, The Network for Health Equity 