MUSC to host inaugural LGBTQ+ Health Equity Summit
March 16, 2022
First-of-its-kind summit in South Carolina to feature national experts on variety of issues
The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) will present its inaugural LGBTQ+ Health Equity Summit on April 7 and 8. The event is sponsored by the MUSC Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and will feature four dynamic keynote speakers and 14 interactive breakout sessions. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required.
The summit aims to increase knowledge and awareness of health care and health equity topics specific to the LGBTQ population. Health care providers, researchers, educators, students and advocates will learn from the nation’s leading experts in LGBTQ health care. Attendees will leave the event with a new understanding of the unique experiences of LGBTQ individuals and some of the issues affecting the health of this community.
“MUSC recognizes the importance of health equity, and we are committed to eliminating health disparities in the communities we serve— including those in the LGBTQ community. As the leading healthcare provider in South Carolina, our commitment to health equity has never been more important and providing this opportunity for education specific to LGBTQ health equity is just one of the ways we are investing in this critical work,” explained Patrick J. Cawley, M.D., CEO, MUSC Health and vice president for Health Affairs, University.
On Thursday, April 7, the summit will open with keynote remarks from Assistant Health Secretary Rachel Levine, M.D., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the first transgender official confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Other speakers will include Ilan Meyer, Ph.D., senior scholar for public policy at the Williams Institute at UCLA; Maya Green, M.D., chief medical officer at Howard Brown Health, Chicago; Jack Turban, M.D., chief fellow in child and adolescent psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine; Tonia Poteat, Ph.D., associate professor of social medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill and core faculty member at UNC Center for Health Equity Research; along with several MUSC leaders.
Topics covered at the summit will include:
• Health care needs of LGBTQ patients.
• The intersection of race and LGBTQ identity.
• Minority stress and mental health.
• Understanding what it means to be intersex.
• Supporting the families of LGBTQ youth.
• LGBTQ health research updates.
MUSC interim chief equity officer, Willette Burnham-Williams explained the importance of this unique inaugural event. “As MUSC strives to become the preeminent academic health care organization of choice, we are proud to be able to provide this educational opportunity to the community at MUSC and beyond. We are committed to meeting the needs of the LGBTQ community and providing the highest quality care, and that begins with education and expanding our understanding of the issues affecting the health of LGBTQ people.”
To register or view the full program and speaker lineup at, please visit musc.edu/lgbtq-summit.
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a unique mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates more than 3,000 students in six colleges – Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy – and trains more than 850 residents and fellows in its health system. MUSC brought in more than $327.6 million in research funds in fiscal year 2021, leading the state overall in research funding. MUSC also leads the state in federal and National Institutes of Health funding, with more than $220 million. For information on academic programs, visit musc.edu.
As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Patient care is provided at 14 hospitals with approximately 2,500 beds and five additional hospital locations in development; more than 350 telehealth sites, with connectivity to patients’ homes; and nearly 750 care locations situated in all regions of South Carolina. In 2021, for the seventh consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.
MUSC and its affiliates have collective annual budgets totaling $4.4 billion. The nearly 25,000 MUSC team members include a world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, students, affiliates and care team members who deliver and support groundbreaking education, research and patient care.
