Pride at the Jefferson Center for Healthy Aging

Message from the Director

Over 15,000 LGBTQIA+ older adults currently live in Philadelphia. However, this number is likely underestimating the true number of individuals in this community, as many LGBTQIA+ seniors are hesitant to discuss their healthcare needs and/or sexual orientation with family, peers and physicians alike.

In 2020, the Jefferson Center for Healthy Aging began investigating ways to better serve LGBTQIA+ communities in the Philadelphia region. Primary care providers and staff who were surveyed reported a need for more comprehensive education in LGBTQIA+ care and promotion of equity and inclusion in the clinical setting. Our team partnered with Philadelphia’s LGBT Elder Initiative to assess health and life concerns within this community, determine best practices for LGBTQIA+ care, and develop curricular materials for trainees, faculty and staff. Through this process, we found that LGBTQIA+ individuals highly value geriatric and preventive care.

We have built off of this foundation to launch Pride at the Jefferson Center for Healthy Aging, the first program of its kind in the nation to deliver high-quality inclusive medical care for LGBTQIA+ older adults. We aim to grow this program by employing several enhancement strategies, including:

• Actively involving community members in the development and expansion of clinical and support services.
• Offering relevant clinical services for LGBTQIA+ older adults, including preventive screenings, sexual health and wellness initiatives, HIV prevention and care, and gender-affirming care.
• Collaborating with community leaders and Jefferson’s executive LGBTQIA+ and diversity committees to provide health education and outreach for LGBTQIA+ patients of all races and ethnicities.
• Conducting anonymous assessments that are inclusive of racial minority groups and transgender individuals.
• Developing and presenting research, curricular and program materials at local and national venues.

Leveraging the myriad resources of the Jefferson enterprise and the Division of Geriatric Medicine’s multidisciplinary expertise, our team will execute a three-fold vision to make Pride at the Jefferson Center for Healthy Aging a model for equitable care of LGBTQIA+ older adults both regionally and nationally:

1. Develop and grow a medical home for LGBTQIA+ older adults that will attract new patients and improve care offerings for current Jefferson patients.
2. Collaborate with national leaders to raise awareness about the need for improved LGBTQIA+ care for older adults and position Jefferson as a leader in the field.
3. Source funding for grants and patient care that will attract experts from multiple disciplines to the Jefferson Center for Healthy Aging.

By achieving this vision, our team will be able to form a clinically focused, teaching-centered, and academically productive hub for older LGBTQIA+ patients who have been overlooked for far too long.

If you would like to support our work, please follow the link to designate your gift to the Division of Geriatric Medicine and note that you would like to direct your gift to Pride at the Jefferson Center for Healthy Aging.