Street Roots • Jan. 12-18, 2018
New s
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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