Dr. Gary Stein

Dr. Gary Stein presented his study, Project Respect: LGBTQ+ Experiences with Healthcare Providers for Serious Illness, at two international conferences in October 2022 – the McGill International Palliative Care Congress in Montreal and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center World Hospice & Palliative Care Day, broadcast internationally from New York.  Dr. Stein highlighted the findings from almost 300 LGBTQ people with serious illness and their partners, spouses, or widows.  He and his co-investigator, Dr. Cathy Berkman of Fordham University, found relatively high levels of discriminatory care against LGBTQ patients and partners, including 32% reporting providers who were insensitive towards patients, 27% of providers who were not aware of LGBTQ health needs, 24% of providers who denied access to spouses/partners in intensive care or emergency rooms, and 21% of providers who made patients feel judged for being LGBTQ.  Hundreds of examples of disrespectful, inadequate, and abusive care were provided by respondents, as well as reports of respectful, affirming, and competent care.  The study builds on findings from the first phase of this study, published in 2020 in the a prestigious medical journal.  A full analysis of study findings will be published in a medical journal in 2023.  Dr. Stein thanks MSW student Silas Norum-Gross, who provided outreach assistance.