All patients and caregivers should have easy access to resources that help them to navigate their health care journey. This is your guide to clinical care and supportive resources available to LGBTQIA+ patients and caregivers at UPMC, and in the community.
UPMC has LGBTQIA+ knowledgeable providers as well as integrated clinical services* to meet the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community with specific services to provide care to transgender and gender diverse people. To find the provider who is right for you please see the LGBTQIA+ Clinical Services Tab below.
*Integrated clinical services include the Gender and Sexual Development Clinic, the PACT clinic, and the PrEP clinic.
UPMC provides care to the LGBTQIA+ communities and has specialty services for Trans and Gender Diverse (TGD) people.
Learn about LGBTQIA+ servicesProviders can now earn the LGBTQIA+ Affirming Provider Designation to be displayed in both Find-A-Doc and Find Care directories. The UPMC Health Plan, in partnership with the Wolff Center, established the LGBTQIA+ Affirming Provider Designation to make it easier for members to find providers who can communicate and validate the LGBTQIA+ patient experience and create a safe and welcoming patient-provider relationship.
Schedule an Appointment with an LGBTQIA+ Affirming Provider
UPMC Health Plan members can also search filter in the Find Care Directory for the affirming provider flag.
UPMC policy prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, limited English proficiency ancestry, national origin, age, gender, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital, familial, disability status or status as a covered veteran or any other legally protected status. View UPMC's nondiscrimination policy in patient care and employment.
Learn more about Patient Rights & Responsibilities at UPMC Hospitals.
At UPMC, we have a diverse patient population. Our goal is to make sure all patients are treated with dignity and respect and have their individual needs met while feeling safe and affirmed during their care. Our commitment includes using the chosen name and personal pronouns for every patient, visitor, employee, and member as well as recognizing and supporting LGBTQIA+ families across the lifespan.
A routine part of the 'history and physical' can include asking about your sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). We are working to do a better job at asking and maintaining this information for all patients because it can impact medical decisions. It helps to create care that is personalized, relevant, and sensitive to your needs.
As we move to one integrated electronic health record, UPMC is working with our electronic health record providers and staff development departments to ensure that our technology and training can meet our commitment to dignity and respect. Patients with a MyUPMC or UPMC Central PA Portal account can add their preferred name to their UPMC medical record in the “Account Settings” section of the portal. At this time not all our electronic health records and other databases can collect SOGI data. We are working on implementing this across UPMC, also while working to ensure that our employees are trained to care for you and your family. To learn more, read the SOGI patient brochure.
If you would like to know more about the resources we offer or help getting connected to clinical services at UPMC please contact at the form below. This email is monitored during business hours, Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., and we generally respond within two business days.
If you need help in an emergency please contact 911 or go to your nearest emergency department. If you are having a concern that requires crisis support please call resolve Crisis Services at 1-888-796-8226, or review the additional resources we have listed under “Hotlines.”
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation recognized 25 UPMC Hospitals on the 2022-2023 Healthcare Equality (HEI) Index. Participating hospitals are scored by the HRC in the areas of:
UPMC Hospitals Designated as HEI Leaders:
UPMC Hospitals Named Top Performers:
+Consistent with the mission of treating all patients, visitors, and staff with dignity and respect, UPMC Mercy is a participant of the Healthcare Equality Index, an assessment of commitment to caring for LGBTQIA+ people published every other year by the Human Rights Campaign. Part of UPMC Mercy’s commitment to caring for all is to be transparent about the scope of services offered at UPMC Mercy. UPMC Mercy offers many specialty services such as Trauma, Burn, Addiction Medicine, and Vision Care. As a faith-based institution that follows the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, gender affirmation services and associated surgeries are not among the specialty services provided at UPMC Mercy. If you have questions about gender affirming services, please reach out to LGBTQHealth@upmc.edu.
Our UPMC Health Library has many topics about LGBTQ+ health, from commonly asked questions about sexual orientation to transition options.
The UPMC HealthBeat has blog posts and podcasts covers topics relevant to the LGBTQIA+ community including:
UPMC Health Plan is committed to helping all members, including those in the transgender community, fully understand their benefits, access services, and live their healthiest life. We at UPMC Health Plan never lose sight of the fact that the transgender community routinely face heightened levels of discrimination and a host of other challenges, so we created a dedicated member services team to best serve the needs of the community.
UPMC Health Plan’s Dedicated Member Services Team for Transgender Members includes individuals specifically trained to provide member support from a variety of departments, including the following:
We make certain that our members in the transgender community have access to award-winning member services support dedicated to explaining transgender coverage and answering questions about related issues. UPMC Health Plan members interested in learning more about transgender coverage are encouraged to call Member Services at 1-844-202-0126 (or 800-361-2629 for TTY) or the phone number on the back of their insurance card.
Should a concern about your experience at UPMC arise, discuss it with the involved parties. If the concern remains unresolved, please call one of our Patient Relations Departments.
For questions or concerns about your experience at a UPMC practice not located in a hospital, please call the toll-free Patient Relations Customer Service Line at 1-866-705-7020 or contact us at LGBTQHealth@upmc.edu.
Contacting the Patient Relations Department will not negatively affect your care.
You can also submit an inquiry below for a complaint or concern, to make an update to your medical record (including legal name and/or sex), request a referral, provide feedback, and more.
We will review your inquiry and provide you with a quick response.
