Rainbow balloons lined the entrance to NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan in East Harlem on July 19 as doctors and care providers joined together to celebrate the re-launch of the Pride Health Center.
“Today’s relaunch is a moment of renewal,” said Metropolitan’s CEO, Julian John, MPA. “We are strengthening our purpose, deepening our impact, and expanding our services to respond to today’s healthcare challenges.”
Located on the hospital’s ground floor, directly on the right-hand side of its entrance on Second Avenue between East 97th and 99th Streets, the Pride Center provides a dedicated, welcoming environment for members of the LGBTQ community of all ages — from youth to seniors — to seek medical care in a stigma-free environment. H+H described the relaunch as an opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to patients and send a message to LGBTQ New Yorkers that they are welcome without any exceptions.
One of eight LGBTQ hubs across the H+H hospital network, the Pride Health Center at Metropolitan was launched in 2014 under the Department of Family Medicine.
In 2023, the hospital, recognized by Human Rights Campaign as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader, opened a dedicated physical space on the first floor, with six exam rooms, where queer patients can receive a routine check-up, hormone therapy, gender affirming surgeries, STI treatment, and PrEP, PEP, and Doxy PEP, as well as mental health care. At this time, Metropolitan does not have a surgeon to perform reconstructive bottom surgery.
The walls of the Pride Center are painted bright, inviting colors, and LGBTQ flags make everyone feel welcome.
When queer people visit the doctor, “they want people who speak their language,” said Alex Raabe, a social worker at the Pride Center who connects patients to resources like food and shelter and regularly writes letters of support for people undergoing gender-affirming surgeries.
“As a member of the LGBTQ community myself, I know that having a physician, having a social worker, having surgeons who know my community and are not just accepting, but are affirming, [is] really important and make me feel safer in healthcare,” Raabe told Gay City News.
Many patients using the Pride Center’s services arrive there by word-of-mouth, Raabe explained — especially in the trans community.
“There is still an issue of stigma in healthcare,” said Raabe, recalling meeting a woman at Harlem Pride last month who said her wife had never felt comfortable after visiting nearly half a dozen doctors.
The Pride Center accepts individuals with and without health insurance and regardless of immigration status, said Dr. Angina Ganatra, chief of ambulatory care at Metropolitan and medical director of the Pride Health Center.
“I know not everyone loves coming to the doctor, but we want to change that, so that everyone comes when they need preventive care and not necessarily always when they’re ill,” Ganatra said.
Relaunching the Pride Center, which has never closed its doors since opening, represented a prime opportunity to introduce the LGBTQ community to resources, especially at a time when queer and trans people’s access to healthcare is under attack across the country.
“As both a healthcare leader and a very proud member of the gay community, I share the same experiences as our patients, who seek caring environments that honor and affirm their identity,” said Chris Wilson, chief nursing officer at Metropolitan. “Here we are seen, we are cared for, and we are heard.”
Community partner organizations, including GMHC, The LGBT Center, Queens Community House, and the Translatinx Network, attended the celebration, as well as New York State Senator Cordell Cleare, who represents Harlem.
Nicole Teyuca, HIV services senior program coordinator at Translatinx Network, underscored the importance of having a trusting relationship with places like the Pride Center — especially for many in the trans latinx community who are facing food and housing insecurity and immigration challenges.
The Pride Health Center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Appointments are highly encouraged, but walk-ins are also accepted. Call (212) 423-7292 or email metlgbt@nychhc.org for more information or to schedule a visit.
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