HealthPartners named 2018 Corporate Champion of PRIDE

Twin Cities Pride recognized our efforts to address LGBTQ health disparities

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Twin Cities Pride has named HealthPartners the 2018 Corporate Champion of PRIDE, recognizing our commitment to diversity and inclusion and leadership on addressing health disparities in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) communities.

“We strive to be an organization where every person is welcomed, every person is included, and every person is valued,” said Andrea Walsh, HealthPartners President & CEO. “We’re so pleased to be recognized for this work, and our incredible community partners and colleagues who make it possible.”

Twin Cities Pride highlighted HealthPartners efforts to ensure our colleagues, as well as patients, members and the community, feel welcomed, included and valued. In particular, they focused on our initiatives and partnerships addressing health disparities in the LGBTQ community.

Some of those include:

• Park Nicollet Gender Services Clinic – Opening in 2010 and one of only a handful in the state, our Park Nicollet Gender Services Clinic has a team dedicated to caring for transgender patients throughout their journey. Clinic teams also help educate and support a wide range of care teams across our organization, so we can better serve all of our LGBTQ patients.
• Sponsorship of “Out North - MNLGBTQ History” – Through a partnership with Twin Cities Public Television, we supported creation of the first documentary honoring Minnesota’s LGBTQ history. It premiered last October.
• LGBTQ Equitable Care Champion Program – As part of building a diverse and inclusive culture, this cross-organization team drives initiatives designed to increase awareness of organizational priorities and resources around health equity.
• It’s Time to Talk… About Gender and Transgender Identity – Last fall, we hosted an employee forum focused on gender identity and transgender individuals. After hearing directly from several patients and colleagues about their experiences as transgender individuals, we hosted a structured conversation for our team members to talk about our own experiences, biases, and learnings.
• Colleague Support and Facility Efforts – Gender neutral bathrooms are available in our hospitals and corporate offices. We also work to ensure colleagues undergoing gender confirmation have tools and resources to support a successful social transition as well. This includes a toolkit for HR specialists and team leaders to support colleagues.
• Partnerships – We have long-established relationships supporting and partnering with leading community organizations such as Just Us Health (formerly Rainbow Health Initiative), OutFront Minnesota, Red Ribbon Ride, MN AIDS Walk and others.

“These efforts are just a snapshot of the work we’re doing,” said Donna Zimmerman, HealthPartners Senior Vice President of Government and Community Relations. “Many teams and individuals are doing amazing work every day to support our LGBTQ patients, volunteer their time, and educate others.”

We will celebrate this honor as proud participants in the 2018 Twin Cities Pride Festival and Ashley Rukes GLBT Pride Parade on Saturday, June 23 and Sunday, June 24. This will be the 21st year HealthPartners has participated in the celebration.