By: Hannah Max
As we celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month, it’s essential to highlight the ongoing efforts at the Telluride Regional Medical Center (TMC) to foster inclusivity and personalized healthcare. One significant step in this direction is our new online check-in platform, Phreesia, which is enhancing our mission to provide tailored care to our diverse community.
Phreesia allows patients to self-identify, ensuring our services are accurately tailored to everyone’s unique needs. As I, Hannah Max, Grant Writer and Medical Assistant at TMC, have often emphasized, this isn’t about pushing an agenda or identity; it’s about not assuming identities of our community members – it’s about knowing who’s here and who isn’t. This understanding is crucial in a town like Telluride, known for its inclusive spirit, yet lacking dedicated queer spaces. By allowing patients to self-identify, we can better serve them, making them feel seen and understood.
For instance, conversations about pregnancy differ significantly between a heterosexual couple and a gay or lesbian couple. Knowing how patients identify is vital for ensuring all patients feel acknowledged and respected.
Rural America, including mountainous Colorado, faces unique healthcare challenges, and finding specialized care, such as a queer therapist, can be particularly difficult. The isolation felt in underrepresented and minority communities is real. By understanding who is in our community, we can adapt our services to meet the needs of those who may feel isolated or underserved. Phreesia helps us collect data that guides us in providing individualized care for each patient.
This data is vital not only for enhancing patient care but also for securing funding. Accurate data dispels assumptions about Telluride being an exclusively wealthy town and opens doors for funding from large granting organizations and nonprofits. These organizations use data to assess the populations being served by their funding.
Empowering patients to self-identify also improves mental health outcomes by allowing individuals to bring their authentic selves when interacting with medical providers. If a patient reports mental health struggles and identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community, their provider can include relevant resources and LGBTQ+ specific health topics in their care plan. Access to this information helps us understand how social determinants of health impact our patients. While cities like Denver offer many queer spaces, Telluride has very few, influencing mental health outcomes.
Some of our patients have commented that Phreesia’s questions about gender and sexuality are too ‘woke.’ However, these questions are a step toward making fewer assumptions and letting patients define their identities. At the end of the day, the goal is to allow patients to feel empowered to be seen as who they are. We are happy to answer any questions and address concerns, ensuring that everyone feels they have the space to discuss their needs during appointments.
TMC’s commitment to inclusivity and individualized care through Phreesia is not about imposing identities but about understanding and serving our diverse community better. By allowing patients to self-identify, we reduce biases, build trust, and tailor our services to meet each person’s unique needs. This approach not only improves patient care but also strengthens our ability to secure funding to address the broader healthcare challenges in our community.
As we honor LGBTQ+ Pride Month, let’s continue working together to create a healthcare environment where everyone feels seen, understood, and empowered. For any questions or further information, we welcome open conversations to ensure everyone has access to personalized care and authentic trust in their providers at TMC.
