Supporting the Health and Well-Being of Rural LGBTQ Adults

Date:
Duration: approximately minutes

During this webinar, researchers from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center described rural/urban differences in health and access to healthcare, including differences in self-rated health, chronic conditions, and mental health outcomes. This webinar also included results from a series of key informant interviews on challenges and opportunities to improve rural lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning (LGBTQ) health, as well as descriptions of case studies describing organizations working to support rural LGBTQ health. After attending, participants will be able to describe differences between rural and urban LGBTQ adults in health and access to care and to identify opportunities to improve rural LGBTQ health through policy and programming.

Presenters

Mariana Tuttle, MPH
Mariana Tuttle is a Research Fellow at the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center. Since joining the Center in June of 2019, she has worked on an array of projects relating to various aspects of rural health. She has contributed to research on rural health issues across the lifespan, from maternal and child health to aging and older adults. Her research has also included work on sexual orientation and gender identity, living alone, access to care for rural residents, and evaluation of rural health grant programs. Ms. Tuttle holds a BA in biology and a BA in Spanish from the University of Arkansas, and received her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Minnesota. Her primary research interests center on the social determinants of health, racial and geographic health disparities, maternal and child health, quality of life across the lifespan, and access to care for rural populations.

Madeleine Pick, MPH
Madeleine Pick is a Research Fellow with the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center and the Flex Monitoring Team. Since joining the Center in 2020, her work has focused on quality of care and best practices in Critical Access Hospitals and access to healthcare for rural residents. She has also contributed to work addressing needs of marginalized populations, including the health and well-being of rural LGBTQ+ residents and language interpreter services in Critical Access Hospitals. Ms. Pick holds a BS in neuroscience and a minor in communication and journalism from the University of St. Thomas and an MPH in public health administration and policy from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

Carrie Henning-Smith, PhD, MPH, MSW
Dr. Henning-Smith is an Associate Professor in the Division of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Deputy Director of the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center and University of Minnesota Rural Health Program. She is an Associate Editor at the Journal of Applied Gerontology and the Journal of Rural Mental Health and the former chair of the Journal of Rural Health editorial board. Her work focuses on health equity for rural residents, with particular attention to older adults, marginalized populations, and social well-being. Dr. Henning-Smith holds a BA in international relations and gender studies from Claremont McKenna College; master's degrees in public health and social work, along with a certificate in gerontology from the University of Michigan; and a PhD in health services research with a minor in demography from the University of Minnesota.

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