Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System is partnering with the Ruth Ellis Center in Highland Park, Mich., to provide primary care services for runaway, homeless and at-risk members of the LGBTQ community.
Officials said the goal of the partnership is to provide primary care services to the community in a one-stop facility, including specialized care for transgender youth, HIV testing and guidance and comprehensive behavioral health services.
Henry Ford physicians will offer targeted care to patients in the form of quick visits for medical issues, screening tests for vision and hearing, transition care for transgender youth and birth control, among other services. The REC will also offer dental services and family and group counseling.
"Developing a health & wellness center accessible to all at-risk youth and young adults and specifically tailored to support the needs of LGBTQ young people is an extraordinary achievement for our organization," said REC executive director Jerry Peterson. "Discrimination, lack of access to care and lack of cultural competence will no longer be reasons why LGBTQ youth are denied their right to efficient and effective health care."