Intermountain and SelectHealth participate in the Utah Pride Festival

Brady White Jun 10, 2019

Caregivers donned their best rainbows and colors this past weekend during Intermountain's and SelectHealth's participation in the annual Utah Pride Festival as the event's official medical sponsor.

Organized by the LGBTQ Caregiver Resource Group with the theme "Take Pride in Your Health," Intermountain's and SelectHealth's sponsorship gave 380 caregiver volunteers a chance to participate in the festival's events. Events included the Pride Parade, OUTdoor & Proud 5K, medical tents throughout the celebrations, water stations, and a festival booth.

"We handed out sunscreen to festival attendees at the booth," says Rachel Mueller, a medical assistant at Memorial Clinic. "There were so many thankful people because they'd forgotten [their sunscreen] — and something that little made a huge impact on taking pride in your health."

The SelectHealth wellness team completed 257 wellness exams to help address health disparities in the LGBTQ community. Caregivers also offered behavioral health screenings, shared recruitment opportunities, and connected people with insurance resources.

"A caregiver recently shared with me, 'Diversity invites diversity,'" says Intermountain's CEO Marc Harrison, MD. "Working together, our diverse experiences empower us to fulfill our mission of helping people live the healthiest lives possible. I'm proud that our community at Intermountain continues to serve everyone and invites everyone to serve."

Cari Vande Veegaete, director of equity and inclusion, says, "I'm overwhelmed with pride (no pun intended) as I think about the outpouring of support from Intermountain caregivers to promote belonging, acceptance, and equality. I'm proud of the work our Caregiver Resource Group and planning committee put in to making Pride at Intermountain an event that focused on creating awareness around health and working toward tangible improvements for the health of the communities we serve."

These facts illustrate why Intermountain supports the health needs of the LGBTQ+ community:

-LGBTQ+ people have higher rates of smoking-related cancers

-LGBTQ+ people are more likely to rate their health as "poor"

-LGBTQ+ people have more chronic health conditions than other groups

-LGBTQ+ people have a higher risk for mental health illnesses

-LGBTQ+ people have higher rates of unhealthy weight control and perceptions

-41 percent of transgender people have attempted suicide

-LGBTQ+ youth are two to three times more likely to attempt suicide

-Gay men have 50 percent higher odds of having skin cancer

-Lesbians are less likely to receive preventive cancer screenings

-Transgender people are less likely to receive appropriate cancer screenings for their anatomy

Curt Andersen, MD, SelectHealth: "I encountered at least 12 of my former family practice patients who were extremely grateful to see me and Intermountain in the parade and at the festival. I'm not going to lie, there were hugs and tears of gratitude just for showing recognition and mutual respect to one another. Thank you Intermountain and SelectHealth for sponsoring this very successful event."
Spencer Hardy, expressive therapies team coordinator, Primary Children's Hospital: "As a transgender caregiver, it was overwhelming for me to march in the parade with my employer, and to feel that Intermountain was supporting not only my community but my health."
Natalie Lanham, community care social worker, Intermountain Medical Center: "I went to the Pride celebrations on Sunday with my children and was so excited to see Intermountain and SelectHealth caregivers represented in the parade and at the festival serving the community. It was awesome to see our organization involved in the LGBTQ community and giving back in such a large force."
Brenda Voisard, diversity and career development manager: "I've worked here for 17 years and my wife worked here for 30 years before retiring. Our participation in the Utah Pride Festival means that I belong at Intermountain. My Intermountain community and my LGBTQ community became one — and I now know we're welcome and celebrated here."