Beyond Labels: Rethinking Advocacy and Allyship in LGBTQIA+ Patient Care
ACTIVE
You don’t have to fully understand someone’s identity to advocate for their health and dignity. In this session for patient advocates, we’ll explore how to center care, not curiosity, when working with LGBTQIA patients. Together, we’ll unpack common assumptions that may unintentionally create barriers to care and refocus our approach on what all patients need: respect, safety, and support. We’ll discuss when sexual orientation or gender identity is clinically relevant—and when it isn’t—and how to respond with empathy, not hesitation. This talk invites advocates to rethink what allyship looks like in the real-world complexities of healthcare and how to serve all patients with confidence, compassion, and cultural humility.
Malynnda Stewart, PhD, BCPA is a board-certified patient advocate and the CEO of Compassionate Navigation, LLC. She believes effective communication is a form of preventive medicine, reducing misunderstandings, improving health outcomes, and fostering trust between patients and providers. Through her consulting work, she equips patients, families, and healthcare professionals with the skills to navigate complex conversations with clarity, confidence, and compassion.
Learning objectives- After completing this webinar, the participant will be able to:
- Reframe allyship by shifting from identity-based assumptions to a patient-centered model that respects all individuals without requiring a personal understanding of their orientation or identity.
- Recognize when and how LGBTQIA identity is clinically relevant, and learn how to respond with cultural humility, not over-explaining or avoidance.
- Build confidence in providing equitable care by focusing on advocacy principles that apply to all patients, while being mindful of the unique barriers LGBTQIA individuals may face.
Non-Member Purchase
You will receive an email, after checking out, with a unique passcode to input above enabling this webinar.
Continuing Education webinars are open to NAHAC members and the general public looking to enhance their knowledge and receive continuing education credit.
As a NAHAC benefit, Full Members are charged only $10.00 for a CE webinar while the general public pays $40.00 per CE credit webinar. NAHAC full members, who just want to view the webinars, can go to the NAHAC website to view the webinars at any time – no charge.
To receive the discounted NAHAC membership rate for CE webinars, access and complete an application here: Membership Form.
Members Only Purchase
You will recieve an email, after checking out, with a unique passcode to input above enabling this webinar.
Continuing Education webinars are open to NAHAC members and the general public looking to enhance their knowledge and receive continuing education credit.
Malynnda Stewart, PhD, BCPA
Malynnda Stewart, PhD, BCPA is a board-certified patient advocate and the CEO of Compassionate Navigation, LLC. She believes effective communication is a form of preventive medicine, reducing misunderstandings, improving health outcomes, and fostering trust between patients and providers. Through her consulting work, she equips patients, families, and healthcare professionals with the skills to navigate complex conversations with clarity, confidence, and compassion.
For 20 years, she served as a professor of health communication, cultural communication, interpersonal communication, interviewing, and persuasion, helping students and professionals develop practical communication strategies that improve patient care and workplace interactions. She is committed to meeting people where they are, ensuring that difficult conversations—whether in healthcare, education, or daily life—are approached with empathy and understanding.
Malynnda also hosts the podcast Communication Compass, which is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations strengthen their communication skills in challenging situations. Her work empowers people to engage in meaningful, solution-focused discussions that lead to better relationships, improved well-being, and more inclusive environments.