Our Mission

The Vermont Diversity Health Project’s (VDHP’s) Mission is to improve the health and wellness of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Vermonters by building bridges between health care providers and LGBTQ people throughout the state. We help patients identify friendly, supportive and effective health care providers, and we offer training and support to enhance providers’ skill in working with LGBTQ people.

Our Bodies, Our Minds:
Vermont’s Guide to Queer Friendly Health Care

In 2001, VDHP produced the first version of Our Bodies, Our Minds. Limited to Chittenden County providers, the guide served the general gay and lesbian population. In 2003, the second print edition expanded our scope to include issues of particular concern to transgender people and queer youth.
Today, the on-line version of Our Bodies, Our Minds offers opportunities for health care providers statewide to list their practices and serves all LGBTQ Vermonters. Please help us expand the Guide by encouraging your queer-friendly providers to register or by registering your own services.
The guide is also a tool that advocates, social workers and others can use to help identify providers who are friendly, welcoming and understanding of people of diverse sexual orientation or gender identity.

How to Use The Online Database

The entries in this database were gathered using the answers to a four-page survey sent to 2000 Chittenden County health care providers and also available to providers statewide through the VDHP website. We paid special attention to making this updated guide more trans and queer youth usable, while continuing our efforts for the LGBTQ community. This database is, however, only a guide. If you want more specific information, it is your responsibility to ask your provider. (See "How to Interview Your Provider")

Through our on-line database, you can view each provider’s complete response to the VDHP Health Care Provider Survey by clicking on the name of the provider. Fill in the blank questions appear exactly as they were answered.

How to Interview Your Provider

Health care providers differ in the treatments they are skilled at, their attitudes toward health care, how they accept payment, their availability and other ways. When choosing a provider you may want to ask some questions, either before you set up an appointment or during the first appointment.

— What are their locations and hours? How do you contact them in case of emergency?
— What style of providing health care do they practice? How involved is the patient in the treatment plan?
— Are there any restrictions in type of patients they see: age, gender?
— What are their rates for a standard visit? What kinds of payment plans are available? If you have insurance, is it accepted?

How to get a copy of Our Bodies, Our Minds

The Chittenden County edition of Our Bodies Our Minds is available regularly in hard copy form at the following locations:

— Community Health Center
— Free to Be: The University of Vermont GLBTA
— Hilltop Light Ministries
— Imani
— Outright Vermont
— Planned Parenthood
— R.U.1.2? Community Center
— Spectrum
— Women of Color Alliance
— Women’s Rape Crisis Center

If you would like a copy of the guide mailed to you, please contact us at (802) 860-7812.

Acknowledgements

We would like to whole-heartedly thank the many souls who helped make this guide a reality: Clark Sheldon, Eli Trudeau, Lluvia Mulvaney-Stanak, Jay Schuster, Dan Berns, Rick Wold, Leroy Padgett, Christopher Kaufman, Khristian Kemp-DeLisser, Outright Vermont, R.U.1.2? Community Center, The Vermont State Department of Health, the Physician’s Computer Company and all the participating health providers.

Please Be Advised

All information in this database is made available as reported to us by the individual provider. R.U.1.2? Community Center, Outright Vermont and Vermont Diversity Health Project are not responsible for any claims made by the provider listed. We encourage individuals seeking health care to interview practitioners carefully before choosing any providers. This database is only meant to serve as a useful tool for finding LGBTQ-friendly providers. Inclusion in this guide does not constitute an endorsement by R.U.1.2?, Outright Vermont, VDHP or anyone associated with creating this database.

The Vermont Diversity Health Project is a project of R.U.1.2? Queer Community Center. Support VDHP and become a member of R.U.1.2? today!