Transforming LGBTQ+ Health
Members from across the University and representatives from Philadelphia’s business, government, and community sectors recently gathered together at the Inn at Penn to celebrate the Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania with a launch party.
In his opening remarks, Eidos Founding Director José Bauermeister, PhD, MPH, the Albert M. Greenfield Professor of Human Relations and Chair of the Department of Family and Community Health at Penn Nursing said, “We at the Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania are committed to creating evidence-based health solutions that are available to LGBTQ+ people when they need it most. We bring together social enterprise, education, research, and community resources to create real-world applications that will transform LGBTQ+ health. The success of these solutions will require your energy and talents.”
Launched in January 2022, the Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative is the first program of its kind, cultivating change efforts as a connector and think tank. Eidos has five goals: (1) Explore where LGBTQ+ health research and business innovation intersect to create transformative tools and programs; (2) Collaborate on program design highlighting key priorities, aid in capacity building, and offer technical expertise to produce high-impact programs across sectors; (3) Provide training that builds tangible skills in LGBTQ+ healthcare through a wide array of speakers, workshops, and conferences; (4) Examine how existing programs and interventions improve care and well-being to assess their effectiveness and impact; and, (5) Turn evidence-based strategies into economically sustainable solutions while prioritizing those in need.
Eidos is anchored in Penn Nursing. “We are known for excellence because we are at the forefront of advancing science while promoting health equity and advocating for social justice—working with and within communities to improve health and wellness in innovative ways,” said Penn Nursing Dean Antonia Villarruel. “We are here today to launch a new program that speaks directly to those ideals—the Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative builds on Penn Nursing’s ethos of expanding holistic, lifespan approaches to health —with and for LGBTQ+ communities.”
Click here to learn more about the program and its new Board of Advisors.
Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative Launch
