Team to deliver key priorities of first NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy.

Shih-Chi Kao’s team aims to empower the LGBTIQ+ community.

“We partner with our LGBTIQ+ community to enhance their health and wellbeing. Our vision is to deliver equitable healthcare services that are responsive to their needs,” Dr Kao, the Director of Priority Population Programs at Sydney Local Health District, said.

As home to one of Australia’s biggest LGBTIQ+ communities, the District is dedicated to ensuring that all people, regardless of their sexuality or gender identity, feel accepted, welcomed and valued.

The District is recruiting a new LGBTIQ+ Program Manager in Population Health, to support implementation of the first NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy 2022–2027.

Launched by the NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard, the strategy is a comprehensive plan to understand and address the health and wellbeing needs of the state’s LGBTIQ+ population.

This includes the health, wellbeing and safety of the District’s staff who are LGBTIQ+.

Evidence shows the LGBTIQ+ community experiences poorer health outcomes, overall, than the rest of the general population – with health issues and barriers to accessing healthcare disproportionately impacting them.

The strategy focuses delivering high quality, safe, inclusive and responsive care; responding to the health needs of transgender and gender diverse people; responding to the health needs of intersex people; and capturing data on sexuality, gender and intersex variations.

The District is committed to delivering these key priorities.

“Our LGBTIQ+ community is one of our priority population groups and we are continuing to work to address the health inequities they face. We’re collaborating with services to support our existing initiatives as well as fostering new ideas and partnerships,” Dr Kao said

“We will also continue to collaborate with our consumers, their families and partner organisations, such as ACON, The Gender Centre and Rainbow Families,” he said.

The NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy 2022 – 2027 was developed by an expert advisory committee, in consultation with more than 1,600 LGBTIQ+ people and more than 750 NSW Health staff.