My name is Milo Malone (they/them) and I am so excited to be working at Access Health Louisiana as its new Linkage to Care Coordinator for LGBTQ+ services.
A little about me: I was born in New York, but spent middle and high school in suburban Atlanta. After earning a bachelor’s degree in French Studies and another in Sociology from LSU in Baton Rouge, I moved to New Orleans in 2020 during the Covid-19 shutdown. In my free time, I am a member of the Well-Hung Speakers, the local Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow cast at the Prytania Theater. I’m proud to call New Orleans my home because of the queer community I have found here. It really feels like family here and I know that this community takes care of its own.
In my role at Access Health Louisiana, I am looking to connect with the LGBTQ+ community to provide necessary, life-saving healthcare. I will be working with various departments across our care network to create LGBTQ-centered services including access to HRT, behavioral health services, and HIV/STI care. Access Health Louisiana currently has a few providers who offer HRT, and I am looking to expand that number so that these services are more accessible across southern Louisiana.
Given the current cultural climate, my main goal is to ensure that patients can access the health care they need and, if that treatment is unavailable, that patients have access to a support system that is culturally appropriate and understanding. I am hoping to work with Access Health to expand cultural sensitivity training across all community health centers to ensure that all patients who come for care are treated with respect, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
We currently have a list of healthcare providers who provide LGBTQ-centered healthcare on our website at accesshealthla.org/service/lqbtq-health-care/. My hope is to make such a list unnecessary by ensuring that patients can feel comfortable at any of our health centers with any of our providers.
I will be working closely with Jordan Probst, our Linkage to Care Coordinator for Sexual Health services on outreach events in the community to expand access to HIV/STI testing and care. If you are seeking an HIV test, you can contact the Pythian Clinic at (504) 226-2983. We also offer at-home rapid HIV tests, which you can request online at accesshealthla.org/service/hivtesting/.
As a member of the queer community and a non-binary person, I know how difficult or scary it can be to seek healthcare. I am here to be a resource for the community and to help connect people with providers whom they can trust and who will ensure they have a positive healthcare experience. If you are seeking LGBTQ+ healthcare such as primary care, HRT or behavioral health services, please do not hesitate to reach out to me via email at mmalone@accesshealthla.org.
