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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 12, 2018)
Street Roots • Jan. 12-18, 2018 New s _ Page 9 PH O TO S B Y ELLEN A R O SEN TH A L Deven Ferte, above, is the manager o f health care operations at Prism Health. A t right, A h Chadwick-Saund said the depth o f understanding a t Prism goes beyond other health care providers that don’t specialize in LGBTQ+ needs. judgment they receive as “the gay a fcotaroseaal perse» be p lw a a oieotal health referral II person” in their home town. they asked for birth cosifrol pills? Nof that would »ever happen« Yet Ferte said the lack of when people In o»r eosnwBlty want to be proactive about their sexual understanding, stigma and judgment healthy they are labeled as mentally »»well/* directed at the LGBTQ+ community comes not just from health care ©EVE1M F E K T E f M A N A G E R A T P R IS M H E A L T H providers, but also from insurance companies that take their claims. is respectful and affirming to our patients,” know nothing about to custom-tailor medical “If someone was assigned female she said. care towards them. That’s why Prism is so at birth yet identifies as male and still has “Prism is Oregon’s first comprehension important.” their cervix, they may need annual pap standalone primary practice. Everyone from Because of a grant from the Oregon smears,” Ferte said. “If we were to list their the receptionist to the biller on the opposite Community Foundation, Prism will offer sex at birth as male, that claim would not be culturally specific mental health services end are people trained for the needs of the paid because the insurance would see it and during the first half of 2018. community, and understand the importance say, ‘Why is a male getting a pap smear?’ “We’ve heard a lot of folks talking about of things like gender identity and pronouns, And this creates a very uncomfortable the need for LGBTQ+ centered mental said Tyler TerMeer, the executive director situation for the patient.” health services. This will be a great at CAP. “We’ve designed our intake forms Although Prism specializes in care for the opportunity to fulfill some of around patients’ visions. The LGBTQ+ community, it doesn’t exclude these requests for (patients) visual and physical others. who may want to talk about [experience] is by and for “We do see straight people!” Ferte said what’s it like to be ONLINE the community." with a grin. “I think people see that we are LGBTQ+,” said TerMeer. “Don’t mind me sobbing focusing so much on the LGBTQ+ In the health care system, community and people who are heterosexual over medical forms because transgender people routinely they’re so inclusive,” wrote call and say, ‘Hi, I’m looking for a new face discrimination, rism’s waiting area feels primary care provider. I notice that you guys Ari Chadwick-Saund, a queer harassment, poor medical nothing like a traditional optician, on Facebook. specialize in gay people or the gay care or none at all. In doctor’s office. A sleek, As she waited for her community, but I’m straight, will you see modern, colorful rug lies new-patient appointment at Portland, low-income clinics me, too?”’ atop cement flooring, and Prism, she took a picture of have pioneered safe health Prism’s intake forms are the most the intake form and shared care for these patients. Read chairs and couches with encompassing and comprehensive medical pops of color invite people it on social media. Chadwick- Street Roots’ previous forms some patients have ever seen. Saund told Street Roots that coverage at news.streetroots. to sit, relax and take a For instance, there are nine different breath - an extension of the she is usually allowed to options for a person’s gender identity: male, org/transhealthcare overall warmness the staff mark only one race on female, trans male, trans female, two-spirit, projects. The sanctuary feel typical intake forms even gender non-conforming, non-binary, decline, and ambiance of Prism is though she’s multiracial. another, and a patient can check all that may intentional, and the product Chadwick-Saund was at apply when it comes to their race and of Elena Moon and her team at Osage Portland’s Pride festival when she came ethnicity. Orange, a human-centered design studio across Prism’s booth. She could have been Prism also documents every patient’s based in Portland. knocked over with a feather, she said. She sexual orientation, gender identity, pronoun One part of designing Prism included did not expect to see something like Prism and preferred name. A disclaimer is research conducted by Osage Orange. Their in Oregon’s health care landscape. included in new patient paperwork that team of four, all queer-identified themselves, “There’s a lot of lack of understanding explains why Prism asks for a patient’s spoke to community members to better about the problems that face this assigned sex at birth, gender identity, legal understand their health care needs and community of individuals,” she said. “It s name and the name they go by. experiences. Osage Orange was particularly intersections - class, race, gender identity, “Many of our patients have a legal name interested in hearing from transgender and politics, religion - the queer community is that is used for their insurance, but they queer people of color in the Portland area, very, very broad. It can be hard with a have another name they go by. We work as these communities have historically less community that’s marginalized that you hard to collect this information in a way that access to appropriate and affirmative health care. Osage Orange worked from October to February on the project and informed the design through interviews with 11 people, where they learned about challenges experienced within the existing medical system and what an ideal primary health care clinic would look and feel like. Toward the end of the design process, Osage Orange shared ideas for the center’s name, logo design, health care experience, staffing and interior for feedback. “We found a lot of people in the queer community feel socially isolated,” Moon said. “People want safe spaces with like minded people and opportunities to connect. We wanted to create a warm, non- clinical environment where somebody would want to spend time, a place where you can hang out.” Chadwick-Saund receives her primary care at Prism and attains more specialized care at Oregon Health & Science University. She acknowledges that this is a privilege; having access to multiple care providers, as her employer pays for her health insurance. Chadwick-Saund is most impressed with how she feels included and in control of her care at Prism, along with the amount of compassion and kindness used in exam rooms. She said that a part of this inclusiveness comes from having people who identify as queer work in the health care field; “it brings more inclusiveness to the health care realm.” “There was no judgment and no stressful situations. Everyone was very calm, and there was a very good flow in the office; the baton passes were seamless, and the way the medical providers communicate with each other was seamless as well,” Chadwick- Saund said. “My provider responded really well to understanding the possible health side effects of abuse,” she added. “I have medical conditions that are kind of rare, so I lobbed See PRISM, page 11
