Stamford, Connecticut – Testing.com, a trusted informational guide for medical lab testing and at-home screening, has recognized Anchor Health among the best STD community testing centers in Stamford, Connecticut. Testing.com experts reviewed several local community organizations that provide access to testing, treatment, and prevention services. The top five testing providers were selected based on accessibility, affordability, and professionalism.

Anchor Health and other facilities on the list deliver convenient and confidential services for patients who do not have access to private health care or have concerns about visiting their primary doctor. The study also prioritized providers that accept major insurance plans and offer free or low-cost testing for patients without insurance. Many community testing centers support programs with sexual and reproductive health education.

Testing.com conducted the study to increase awareness about community-based STD testing centers in Stamford. The online guide is a valuable resource and was designed to help people make informed decisions about testing options. To access the complete review and list of the best STD community testing centers in Stamford, Connecticut, please visit testing.com/std-testing/stamford-ct.

About Anchor Health

Anchor Health is Connecticut’s leading health center focused on embracing and promoting the health and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and gender nonconforming individuals through compassionate, comprehensive, and evidence-based care in a safe, welcoming, and affirming space. Established in 2016, Anchor Health now sees more than 2,500 patients across two full-service clinics and over 50% are transgender and gender nonconforming. Anchor Health’s services include primary and preventative care, Gender & Life-Affirming Medicine (GLAM), HIV prevention and treatment, comprehensive STI testing, behavioral health care, and more. It is health care for queer people by queer people.

To learn more, visit anchorhealthct.org.

About Testing.com

Testing.com is a trusted guide for lab and at-home testing information and resources. The online platform was launched in 2018 to help educate consumers about various lab tests and health screenings. Testing.com uses comprehensive, data-driven research to deliver content that includes articles on common conditions/diseases, current lab test and at-home screening options, medical testing fees and more. The site is produced by a team of experts that work with healthcare professionals to review and provide the most accurate and up-to-date lab testing information. To learn more, visit testing.com.

Contact

Name: Michael DeWolfe
Email: mdewolfe@ahicorp.org
Phone: 203-903-8308
Media kit: anchorhealthct.org/media-kit

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CONNECTICUT — Today, Anchor Health has received an evaluation of 90 out of 100 and the designation of “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer” in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 15th anniversary edition of the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey of healthcare facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of their LGBTQ+ patients, visitors, and employees. A record 906 healthcare facilities actively participated in the 2022 HEI survey and 251 of those earned an “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer” designation.

“Anchor Health is ‘health care for queer people by queer people.’ Each day, we strive to create a safe, comfortable, and supportive space for our patients and team members,” says AJ Eckert, DO, the medical director of Anchor Health’s Gender & Life-Affirming Medicine (GLAM) Program.

“As a health center with just over 25 employees, earning a Top Performer score on the Healthcare Equality Index is an immeasurable honor. We’re incredibly proud that our commitment to providing quality, equitable, and cutting-edge care to our community has been recognized by the HRC Foundation, and we’re excited to continue moving LGBTQ+ health forward.”

The HEI evaluates and scores healthcare facilities on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:

• Foundational policies and training in LGBTQ+ patient-centered care,
• LGBTQ+ patient services and support,
• Employee benefits and policies, and
• Patient and community engagement.

In the 2022 report, an impressive 496 facilities earned HRC’s “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation, receiving the maximum score in each section and earning an overall score of 100. Another 251 facilities earned the “Top Performer” designation with scores between 80 to 95 points and at least partial credit in each section. With 82% of participating facilities scoring 80 points or more, health care facilities are demonstrating concretely that they are going beyond the basics when it comes to adopting policies and practices in LGBTQ+ care.

The remarkable progress reflected in the 2020 HEI includes:

• 93% of participants met the HEI’s training requirements, completing more than 200,000 hours of staff training in LGBTQ+ patient-centered care.
• 82% of participating facilities earned either the Leader or Top Performer.
• 99% of HEI participants documented that they include both “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in their patient non-discrimination policy.
• 99% of HEI participants documented that they include both “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in their employment non-discrimination policy.
• 81% of HEI participants offer transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits to their employees, up from 75% in 2019, which was the first year that it was required to receive Leader status.

“Every person deserves to have access to quality healthcare, be respected and heard by their doctor, and feel safe in the facility where they are receiving care. But LGBTQ+ people are often subject to discrimination in all spaces, including healthcare facilities, which leads to members of the community avoiding care and anticipating our voices will not be respected in an incredibly vulnerable environment,” said Tari Hanneman, Director of Health & Aging at The Human Rights Campaign.

“The Healthcare Equality Index, at its core, strives to ensure LGBTQ+ people are protected and affirmed by their healthcare providers and feel safe seeking services. Our HEI active participants are truly pioneering the healthcare industry by implementing robust, comprehensive LGBTQ+ inclusive policies that hopefully, because of their work, will become standard practice.”

About Anchor Health:

Anchor Health is Connecticut’s leading health center focused on embracing and promoting the health and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and gender nonconforming individuals through compassionate, comprehensive, and evidence-based care in a safe, welcoming, and affirming space. Established in 2016, Anchor Health now sees more than 2,500 patients across two full-service clinics and over 50% are transgender and gender nonconforming. Anchor Health’s services include primary and preventative care, Gender & Life-Affirming Medicine (GLAM), HIV prevention and treatment, comprehensive STI testing, behavioral health care, and more. It is health care for queer people by queer people.

To learn more, visit anchorhealthct.org.

About The Human Rights Campaign Foundation:

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public’s understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work.

Media Inquiries:

Michael DeWolfe
mdewolfe@ahicorp.org

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We at Anchor Health are incredibly devastated by the attacks on LGBTQ youth by lawmakers in states across the country, including the passing of the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill and “Stop WOKE Act” in Florida, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declaring gender-affirming care as “child abuse,” and Idaho proposing a ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth.

On April 24, the Florida House of Representatives passed the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill (HB 1557/SB 1834) and the “Stop WOKE Act” (HB 7/SB 148).

If enacted, the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill will limit any discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third-grade classrooms and allow parents to sue schools that oppose the ruling. This bill will keep teachers from providing a safe classroom for their students and open up already vulnerable LGBTQ youth to attacks and danger. As of March 8, the Florida Senate passed this bill, which means Gov. Ron DeSantis will either sign or veto it.

The “Stop WOKE Act” is also going to the Florida Senate for consideration. This bill will limit protected speech in workplaces and classrooms around topics of gender, sexuality, systemic racism, and discrimination. It will allow employees to file discrimination claims against employers who hold training or discussions about LGBTQ issues, Black history, and other aspects of marginalization and injustice.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is directing the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate gender-affirming care for youth in the state. Supported by state Attorney General Ken Paxton, Gov. Abbott has declared gender-affirming care as “child abuse” under Texas law. Anyone reported to be practicing and supporting gender-affirming care for youth faces criminal charges.

On March 8, the Idaho House of Representatives approved legislation that makes it a felony to provide gender-affirming care to trans youth. The bill, HB 675, will make it a crime, punishable by life in prison, not only to provide gender-affirming care but to provide permission for a minor to receive it, or to permit a minor to travel out of state to receive it. This bill now heads to the Idaho Senate.

2022 is set to surpass any year in history in anti-trans legislation intended to counteract the progression made on the state and national levels toward trans equality.

So far, there are 266 proposed anti-LGBTQ bills across our nation’s state legislatures, with 125 directly targeting trans youth and adults.

We are at a critical and dangerous time in history. If signed into law, these hateful attacks will propel increased censorship, stigma, and erasure of LGBTQ people and communities of color. These attacks are extreme, deliberate, political, and aim to turn back decades of LGBTQ progress. The recent debates around state laws restricting trans rights have directly led to adverse effects on mental health in a reported 85% of trans youth.

To LGBTQ youth, please don’t give up hope. You are loved, and you are perfect just the way you are. We will continue to fight alongside you. Please reach out for support if you need it.

We are not going anywhere.

Signed,
Anchor Health

The post Anchor Health Statement on States Attacking LGBTQ Youth appeared first on Anchor Health CT.

Hi! We’re pumped to announce that Anchor Health has a refreshed look and new website. Don’t worry. We’re still the same LGBTQ health center you love—just now, we look the part. As we continue to grow, we want to share our changes and the reasons behind them.

Why the change?

It was overdue. When A.C. Demidont, DO, AAHIVS, founded Anchor Health in 2016, all she had was a laptop, a cellphone, a stethoscope, and a vision of empowering queer people in all aspects of their lives. Our focus was on providing high-quality and LGBTQ-affirming patient care. We didn’t have the resources to establish our brand. All our growth came through the power of community and word-of-mouth.

Last year, we came together as a team and decided that it was time to invest in ourselves. We set out to create a stunning, cohesive, and inclusive brand to accompany our patient care.

It’s time to build for the future.

So, what’s different?

We’ve refined the Anchor Health brand with updates to our name, logos, colors, descriptions, imagery, and more. We’ve also launched a new website.

Name

We’re just Anchor Health now. It’s nice to meet you! 👋

We no longer use “Anchor Health Initiative.” Since our founding in 2016, we have grown significantly. “Initiative” didn’t feel like the right fit anymore. Our name now reflects our role as Connecticut’s leading LGBTQ health center. It also positions us for the future.

Logo

We have simplified our logo to tie in with our name update. The pink to blue gradient represents fluidity, creativity, and queerness.

Colors

Our primary brand colors are Break Free Blue and Purple Menace.

We use functional colors like black, grey, and white to accompany our brand colors.

And accent colors give us creative flexibility.

Messaging

We’ve updated how we talk about Anchor Health to better reflect who we are and what services we offer.

Description

Use this as your go-to description when you need to provide a brief overview about Anchor Health.

Anchor Health is Connecticut’s leading health center for the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) community. We bring groundbreaking, radically inclusive, gender-affirming, and sex-positive care to every patient who walks through our doors. Established in 2016, we now see more than 2,500 patients across two full-service clinics and over 50% are transgender and gender nonconforming. Our services include primary and preventative care, Gender & Life-Affirming Medicine (GLAM), HIV prevention and treatment, comprehensive STI testing, behavioral health care, and more. We are health care for queer people by queer people.

To learn more, visit anchorhealthct.org.

Taglines

Our taglines communicate our identity, purpose, and values.

Health care for queer people by queer people.

Groundbreaking, radically inclusive, gender-affirming, and sex-positive care.

Connecticut’s leading LGBTQ health center.

Website

Our new website URL is anchorhealthct.org.

Over the past year, we’ve been working hard to create a website that better reflects our community and services, improves navigation and accessibility, and creates a space to share resources and uplift the community.

Highlights:

• UserWay’s Web Accessibility Widget is available in the lower right corner of most pages
• In-depth accessibility information
• Helpful FAQs to answer your burning questions
• Our history
• Updated services information
• Patient forms to get a head start on your paperwork
• Feedback form to submit compliments, complaints, and concerns
• Resources available through our blog

And more! Take a look around and let us know what you think.

What’s next?

We’re excited to go into this new chapter of Anchor Health with you. Stay tuned as we roll out additional updates, website features, and more throughout the next few months.

For media inquiries, please email Michael DeWolfe, Head of Communications & Events, or send us a message. We’d love to hear from you!

Shout outs

This project was a huge team effort. It would’ve been impossible to do without a lot of collaboration, creativity, feedback, and patience. Thank you to Touch The Road for bringing our website to life. 

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In-house behavioral health services are now available!

LGBTQ communities have faced unprecedented stress, trauma, and insolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re here to help. Our behavioral health program is trauma-informed and experienced in the unique needs of queer people.

Our behavioral health services include psychiatric assessment, medication management, and letters for gender-affirming surgeries and procedures. These are available to Anchor Health patients ages 5 years and older. In-person and telemedicine visits are available in both offices.

Melissa Strauss, APRN, PMHNP-BC, is launching these services as the newest member of our team! Melissa is a family psychiatric nurse practitioner with extensive experience in attachment, mood, and trauma disorders, along with ADHD, anxiety, OCD, and schizophrenia.

If you are a current patient seeking behavioral health services, please call 203-903-8308 or send us a MyChart message. You can also request a consultation through your medical provider during your next visit.

If you are not a current patient, your first step is to establish medical care. You can request an appointment online and we’ll contact you within 1-2 business days with your next steps. You can also call 203-903-8308 for assistance over the phone.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

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