Annual Report 2017-2018 In the last year, Callen-Lorde served nearly 18,000 patients who made nearly 110,000 visits – and for whom we provided over $5 million in donated care. ABOUT US Callen-Lorde is the global leader in LGBTQ healthcare. Since the days of Stonewall, we’ve been transforming lives in LGBTQ communities through excellent comprehensive care, provided free of judgment and regardless of ability to pay. In addition, we are continuously pioneering research, advocacy and education to drive positive change around the world, because we believe healthcare is a human right. TABLE OF CONTENTS Letters From Us 4 Chris’ Story 25 Our History & Namesakes 6 Expansion 26 Training & Education 8 The Health Club 27 Remi’s Story 10 Howard J. Brown Blane’s Story 13 & John B. Montana Societies 28 Advocacy & Policy 14 Special Events 30 By The Numbers 16 Staff Appreciation 32 Population Health 20 Board of Directors & Senior Staff 34 Research 21 Our Supporters 36 Yuhua’s Story 22 3 A LETTER FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear Friends, Supporters, and Community Members, For 49 years (we have a big birthday coming up!), Callen-Lorde Community Health Center has served New York City’s LGBTQ and HIV-impacted communities with quality, affirming healthcare provided regardless of ability to pay. And, our impact now reaches outside of the walls of our three clinical locations into many corners of the world. We are living in a moment in history with so many threats to civil rights, open societies, diplomacy, and democracies. Callen-Lorde is committed to continuing to hold hope for our communities and to work to create a future in which we can thrive. At a time when so much is being dismantled, we are thrilled to be building a safe haven for our communities – a brand new, 25,000 square foot health center in Downtown Brooklyn. Despite the many other providers - colleagues whose work we happily embrace - now looking to provide competent healthcare services to our communities, demand for our services is greater than ever, and greater than our current physical plant capacity. And so, in the pages of this report, you will read about our plans for the new Brooklyn site, for which buildout is slated to begin this autumn. In the pages of this report you will meet some of our patients and read about some of the ways in which we are impacting the health of our communities through direct care, research, and education. Together, we are building healthy communities who can continue to fight for the world in which we want to live. We are incredibly grateful for your support, which makes this work possible. Yours in hope and solidarity, Wendy Stark Executive Director 4 A LETTER FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD Dear Callen-Lorde Family, Friends, Allies, and Future Supporters: Welcome. My own relationship with Callen-Lorde began the winter of 2000- 2001 as I sat in my car, shivering in cold and terror, and placed the call that began my transition. I dialed three times before letting it connect. Now, all these years later and still a patient, my love of Callen-Lorde continues. Since the days of Stonewall, Callen-Lorde has been a world leader in providing skilled, compassionate healthcare. From gay and lesbian health in the 1970s and 80s where clients could be honest about their partners, to the HIV/AIDS crisis. From the revolutionary Informed Consent Hormone Protocols for trans and nonbinary people to PrEP. Services for those in need of mental health, primary care, dental, case management, sexual health, and so much more. Respectful help for those on the streets; sexworkers, actors, musicians, poets, artists, the unemployed, underemployed, traumatized, stigmatized, and all others of any ethnicity or background with less access to traditional healthcare. Callen-Lorde has lead the way, because only when we are healthy can we thrive. And now, in this period of social and economic uncertainty, we reaffirm our commitment by expanding yet again, with a new 25,000 square foot Brooklyn location slated to open in 2020. Please aid us in fulfilling our mission of offering healthcare and related services targeted to LGBTQ communities in New York and beyond, regardless of ability to pay. Only with your assistance can we make that happen. I’m truly honored each time I get to relate my own connection to Callen-Lorde and say that as Chair I proudly represent the Board, management, and staff of a groundbreaking and necessary organization. We all thank you for your help. Laura A. Jacobs, LCSW-R Chair, Board of Directors 5 OUR HISTORY AND NAMESAKES Callen-Lorde’s grassroots heritage dates back nearly 50 years to the St. Mark’s Community Clinic and Gay Men’s Health Project - two volunteer based clinics that provided free, culturally competent health services to LGBTQ communities, primarily related to sexual health. In response to the AIDS crisis, these two clinics merged in 1983 to form Community Health Project, Inc (CHP), which remains our legal name today. 6 MICHAEL CALLEN AUDRE LORDE THEA SPYER (1955-1993) (1934-1992) (1931-2009) Michael Callen was born The daughter of Caribbean Thea Spyer, Ph.D was in Rising Sun, Indiana, immigrants, Audre Lorde a brilliant psychologist, and began his career as was born in New York City avid violinist, golfer and a successful composer and wrote her first poem dancer. Born to Elisabeth and singer. In 1982 he was at age twelve. In the 1950s Ketellapper and Willem diagnosed with AIDS (then while at Hunter College, Spyer in Amsterdam, Dr. known as Gay-Related Audre worked as a librarian Spyer immigrated to the Immune Deficiency) and and educator and became US States during World quickly became a leader a leader in the early War II. In 1963 she met in the response to the lesbian activist community Edie Windsor, who soon growing epidemic. In 1985 in Greenwich Village. Her become her partner for the he became a founding poetry was published remainder of her life. member of the People regularly throughout Dr. Spyer earned her Ph.D. with AIDS Coalition, the the 1960s and 70s and in Clinical Psychology from first organization to spring gained wide recognition Adelphi University. She from the AIDS self- with the publication of interned at St. Vincent’s empowerment movement. her book The Cancer Hospital and the NYC As a leading authority in Journals in 1980, which Veterans Administration, the community, Michael chronicled her experience and later became Director was called to testify with breast cancer. In this of the Psychiatric Clinic at before the President’s groundbreaking work, she the International Center Commission on AIDS examined her own fears, for the Disabled. She was and both houses of anger and ultimately, her then Clinical Consultant Congress. In 1990 Michael strength and hope. Her in Rehabilitation at chronicled the stories published writings include St. Vincent’s Hospital of long-term survivors nine volumes of poetry Westchester before in his book Surviving and five books of prose. concentrating exclusively AIDS. With Peter Allen Audre was named New on her private practice, and Marsha Malamet, he York State’s Poet Laureate where she cared for her co-wrote the song “Love in 1991 by Governor patients until she passed Don’t Need a Reason” and Mario Cuomo, a post she away from aortic stenosis was a founding member retained until her death in 2009 at the age of 77. of the a capella group at age 58 after a 14-year The Flirtations. Michael struggle with breast continued his work in the cancer. She is survived by community and in music her children, Elizabeth and until his death at age Jonathan, and her partner, 38. He is survived by his Dr. Gloria Joseph. partner, Richard Dworkin. 7 TRAINING AND EDUCATION Callen-Lorde continues to share our research and academic expertise with other agencies and organizations around the globe to improve the health and wellness of LGBTQ people beyond our doors. In the last year, we met with nearly 150 entities representing nearly 20 countries on a myriad of subjects and trainings ranging from cultural competency and sensitivity to population health and more. New Brunswick, NJ Allied Service Center of New York USA Robert Wood Johnson University City (ASCNYC) Oakland, CA Hospital Amida Care Transgender Albuquerque, NM Argus Community Health Summit Sexual and Gender Diversity Audre Lorde Project Washington, DC Summit Baruch College National Black Albany, NY Bridge Back to Life Center PrEP Summit Albany Medical Center Center for HIV Educational Studies The White House Whitney Young Community and Training (CHEST) United States Health Center Conference on AIDS Center for Urban Community Bronx, NY Services (CUCS) Ft. Lauderdale, FL Montefiore Medical Center Chelsea Diagnostic Radiology Transgender Mosholu Montefiore Community Columbia University Medical Symposium Center Columbia University Medical Atlanta, GA VIP Community Services Center National African American MSM Bronxville, NY Community Health Care Leadership Conference on HIV Sarah Lawrence College Association of New York State and Other Health Disparities (CHCANYS) Brooklyn, NY The National HIV Prevention Community Healthcare Network Bowery Residents Committee Conference Con Edison Lutheran Medical Center: Sunset Chicago, IL Covenant House Terrace Family Health Center Midwest LGBTQ Fountain House Services for the Underserved Health Symposium Global Learning Collaborative SUNY Downstate Baltimore, MD High School SUNY Downstate School of Gouverneur Health Lead Serve Lead: the Annual Medicine Meeting of the Association of Harlem United New Hyde Park, NY American Medical Colleges Hudson High School of Learning Pediatric Academic Societies Women’s Health Projects at Long Technologies Island Jewish Medical Center Meeting Icahn School of Medicine at Bethesda, MD New York, NY Mount Sinai Trans Net conference Next Stops: “Examining LGBTQI Institute for Family Health Newark, NJ Issues at the Intersections” Latino Commission on AIDS in conference at NYU Robert F.