PROVIDENCE – Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island has designated 21 new health care sites as LGBTQ Safe Zones, a certification that indicates that a center can provide quality care that meets the needs of LGBTQ+ patients.
Nineteen out of the 21 new Safe Zones are affiliated with Coastal Medical Inc., a Lifespan Corp. practice serving 120,000 patients with more than 20 medical offices in the state. Two Coastal Medical offices have previously been designated as LGBTQ Safe Zones.
The other two recently certified Safe Zones are Fig Tree Acupuncture + Wellness, a Warwick-based center specializing in gut health, chronic pain, and injuries and stress management; and The Memory and Aging Program at Butler Hospital, a program affiliated with The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and focused on Alzheimer’s disease research.
“Safe Zones facilitate access to affirming care for this underserved community with specific health care needs, one that has historically struggled with health care interactions and has often forgone necessary regular care due to feelings of alienation, stress, frustration and fear,” said Matt Collins, executive vice president and chief medical officer for Blue Cross, in a statement.
Blue Cross selects new LGBTQ Safe Zones twice a year. Since its establishment in 2016, it has certified more than 70 practices as Safe Zones.
Claudia Chiappa is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Chiappa@PBN.com.
