The City of West Hollywood and the Iris Cantor-UCLA Women’s Health Center’s Executive Advisory Board, in conjunction with the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Los Angeles LGBT Center, hosted more than 250 healthcare professionals including physicians, nurses, social workers, and other allied health professionals, as well as health educators, community health workers, volunteers, and others at the Los Angeles County Lesbian and Bisexual Women’s Health Collaborative Conference.

The conference took place on Thursday, December 1, 2016 at the California Endowment Center for Healthy Communities in Los Angeles and featured presentations and discussions that highlighted inclusive policies and practices to promote a welcoming healthcare environment, strong patient-provider relationships, and a safe space for women to disclose their sexual orientation, thereby improving the quality of care.

There are many disparities in healthcare services for lesbian and bisexual women.  Sessions included such topics as “Best Practices in Lesbian and Bisexual Women’s Health,” and “Promoting Equitable and Inclusive Healthcare through Policy and Practice,” as well as a healthcare provider training on “Caring for Lesbian and Bisexual Women.”  A panel discussion, “Experiences with Lesbian and Bisexual Issues: How to Advocate for Changes in Your Institution and Address Health Care Gaps,” was moderated by Janet Pregler, MD, Director of the Iris Cantor-UCLA Women’s Health Center. Panelists included health care professionals from UCLA, USC, the Los Angeles LGBT Center, AIDS Project Los Angeles, and Village Health Foundation.

The Los Angeles County Lesbian and Bisexual Women's Health Collaborative (LBWHC) is comprised of individuals and organizations with experience advocating for the health and well-being of lesbians and bisexual women. Members represent health care facilities, government agencies, community organizations, and academic institutions.

The L.A. County LBWHC was established in 2009 as a result of a collaboration between the City of West Hollywood’s Lesbian Visibility Committee and the L.A. County Department of Public Health's Office of Women's Health, after the 2007 L.A. County Women’s Health Summit, at which lesbian and bisexual women's health was identified as a priority issue, and after the City of West Hollywood's Lesbian Visibility Committee wrote the Lesbian Health Bill of Rights, which was adopted by the City Council in 2008.

An album of images from the conference is available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/weho/albums/72157673361146613

For more information, please call the City of West Hollywood’s Social Services Division at (323) 848-6510. For people who are deaf or hearing impaired, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.