Stony Brook Medicine to Conduct LI's 1st LGBTQ+ Community Study

Stony Brook Medicine is administering the first LGBTQ+ community health needs assessment survey on Long Island. The LGBTQ+ Community Health Needs Assessment Survey is a landmark study seeking vital data that will shape the future of LGBTQ+ healthcare in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. It represents the collaborative efforts of Stony Brook Medicine, in partnership with more than 20 Long Island-based organizations and community leaders, including Family & Children’s Association, who, combined, reach all sectors of the LGBTQ+ community through advocacy programming and services.

The need for the LGBTQ+ Health Needs Assessment Survey became clear as Stony Brook Medicine began planning with Stony Brook Southampton Hospital for the medical expansion and relocation of the Edie Windsor Healthcare Center, formerly known as the David E. Rogers, M.D. Center. The mission for the Edie Windsor Healthcare Center is to provide compassionate, world-class quality healthcare to the LGBTQ+ community in a culturally sensitive and safe environment. It will reopen this month as Long Island’s first comprehensive LGBTQ+ Health Center.

“There is scarce quantitative information available either nationally or regionally on the healthcare needs of LGBTQ+ persons,” said Margaret M. McGovern, MD, PhD, Knapp Professor of Pediatrics, Dean for Clinical Affairs and Vice President Health System Clinical Programs and Strategy at Stony Brook Medicine. “We engaged in a dialogue with regional healthcare providers and community-based organizations who acknowledged the significant gap in information and collaborated on survey development and administration.”

Stony Brook Southampton oversees the operations of the Edie Windsor Healthcare Center, the mission for which is to provide compassionate, world-class quality healthcare to the LGBTQ+ community in a culturally sensitive and safe environment.

“The goal of the survey is to provide members of Long Island’s LGBTQ+ community with an opportunity to state their healthcare needs so that Stony Brook Medicine and our partners can better support them and advocate on their behalf,” said Allison H. Eliscu, MD, Medical Director of the Adolescent LGBTQ+ Care Program at Stony Brook Medicine, and Principal Investigator of the study. “The information requested in the LGBTQ+ Health Needs Assessment Survey is critical as healthcare providers, social service providers, government officials and public health staff move to expand service offerings and serve as effective advocates.”

“Every day at FCA we see young people who identify as LGBTQ+ in our runaway and homeless youth shelter and other programs. They come to us sometimes never having seen a doctor who understands them. This survey will give them a voice they haven’t previously had,” said Lisa Burch, Chief Operating Officer, FCA. “Eligible respondents also include college, university and technical school students on Long Island who are 18 years or older, regardless of their permanent address.” The survey takes approximately 15-20 minutes to complete and the link will be available during “Pride Month,” through June 30. Respondents are encouraged to forward the survey link to eligible friends and colleagues.

“We need all of those adults who identify as LGBTQ+ adults and who reside or attend school in Nassau and Suffolk Counties to participate in the LGBTQ+ Health Needs Survey,” said Gregson Pigott, MD, MPH, Commissioner of Suffolk County’s Department of Health Services. “This survey will give voice to all the sectors of Long Island’s LGBTQ+ community about their healthcare experiences and challenges and help shape the future of LGBTQ+ services on Long Island.”

To date, the LGBTQ+ Health Needs Assessment Survey Partnership includes:

• Gina Caggiano, owner, BTW Bar & Grill, Oceanside
• Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk (EOC)
• Edie Windsor Healthcare Center
• Entertainer and advocate Jeff Livingston (stage name Annie Manildoo)
• Family & Children’s Association (FCA)
• The Freedman Center for Clinical Social Work
• OLA of Eastern Long Island
• Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic
• Long Island Crisis Center – PFY
• Stony Brook Medicine
• Stony Brook Medicine AIDS Center
• Stony Brook Medicine LGBTQ* Committee
• Stony Brook Southampton Hospital
• Stony Brook University Department of Pediatrics
• Stony Brook University Director of Planning & Staff Development/Office of Student Affairs
• Stony Brook University LGBTQ* Services Team
• Stony Brook University School of Health Technology and Management
• Stony Brook University – stakeholders in the student body
• Suffolk County Department of Health
• Suffolk County Legislator – Robert Calarco, Presiding Officer
• Suffolk County Office of Minority Health
• Sun River Health
• Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk (VIBS)
• Women’s Diversity Network
• Nassau and Suffolk community members