Figuring out health care can be a challenge for anybody. For LGBTQ people, many of whom routinely encounter discrimination when they need such care, it can be daunting. Which is why some health care systems have begun to offer guides, or navigators, to get people the help they need.
"A lot of our patients come from a vulnerable place," said Rebecca Vanden Bergh, the LGBTQ health services patient advocate for primary care at Denver Health in Colorado. And whether they're just looking for a new doctor or taking the first step toward getting gender-affirming care, "a lot of our patients really benefit from having someone like me who is there to make sure that they are getting connected with a person who is immediately going to provide a safe environment for them." The term "navigator" implies giving someone directions.
But LZ Mathews, a licensed social worker who is program manager and a patient navigator at the Penn Medicine Program for LGBTQ+ Health in Philadelphia, said the job is also about teaching and bridge-building. "I help folks problem-solve what barriers have come up for them in the past or may potentially be posed to them in the future," Mathews said. Sometimes that means educating people about how to schedule care.
Sometimes it's about helping them figure out their insurance plans. "Some folks might just want to be working with someone who is affirming of their identity and who is culturally responsive to LGBTQ+ health-related needs," Mathews said. Others might need.
