OutCare Health today announced that inclusive+, a provider education and vetting platform, has joined OutCare Health. At a time when access to affirming care is increasingly under pressure nationwide, the move expands OutCare’s national efforts to improve health equity through provider education, care navigation, and expanded access to affirming healthcare services. With this integration, inclusive+’s education platform, assessment tools, provider directory, and brand assets will become part of OutCare Health’s ecosystem, creating a more unified and comprehensive hub for both patients seeking affirming care and providers committed to delivering it.
Founded in 2022, inclusive+ trained providers through personalized education and connected those vetted providers to LGBTQ+ patients through an online directory. Its platform provided specialty-specific LGBTQ+ education based on results of a baseline assessment. By linking continuing education to provider knowledge gaps in cultural and clinical competency, the platform generated individualized learning recommendations rather than delivering uniform content. The tailored, assessment-based LGBTQ+ education model was piloted at the University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics (UI Health), and the resulting manuscript is under peer review. inclusive+’s work has contributed to strengthening provider knowledge and expanding access to inclusive care.
“We built inclusive+ to address two problems contributing to healthcare disparities LGBTQ+ communities face: providers are often not adequately educated in the needs of our communities, and patients have a hard time finding competent providers they can trust,” said Lori Ebenstein, Co-Founder and CEO of inclusive+. “OutCare Health has built an incredible resource, and we’re excited to see our mission continue through their work.”
“We are honored to carry forward the foundation that inclusive+ built and the impact it has already had on provider education and patient trust,” said Dustin Nowaskie, MD, President of OutCare Health. “This transition allows us to accelerate our work at a critical moment, expanding access to affirming care by equipping providers with the knowledge and tools they need, while making it easier for LGBTQ+ patients to find care where they feel seen, respected, and supported.”
Current inclusive+ providers will be welcomed into OutCare Health’s platform, where they can continue to be discoverable by patients seeking affirming care. Patients can expect continued access to trusted provider information, with expanded resources through OutCare Health.
About inclusive+
inclusive+ was started with the vision of equitable healthcare for LGBTQ+ communities. Through a combined education platform and provider directory, inclusive+ worked to increase the number of providers who can provide affirming and competent care and improve patient access to those trained providers. inclusive+ was founded by Anna Jacobs, MD, MBA; Monika Lach, PharmD, MSc; and Lori Ebenstein, MBA, and its mission continues through OutCare Health.
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