Why do your caregivers at Winona Health ask you about gender and sexual orientation during your healthcare visit? Why do we care? When it comes to your health, everything matters. People who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) experience long-standing health inequities*. Here at Winona Health, your caregivers want to provide the best care to everyone, and that means addressing health equity. By better understanding you, we can provide care that’s unique to you, your needs and your experience. For those who may not understand the definitions of gender identity or sexual orientation — and the difference, we invite you to learn more. We should all feel valued and safe being who we are. *Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Sexual Orientation Sexual orientation: Sexual orientation and gender are separate, though related, parts of each person’s overall identity. Gender is personal (it’s how we each see ourselves), while sexual orientation is interpersonal (it’s who we are physically, emotionally and/or romantically attracted to). Gender Identity Gender identity is a person’s deeply held, internal sense of self as masculine, feminine, a blend of both, neither, or something else. Gender identity can correspond to, or differ from the sex we are assigned at birth. Message from Missy: One of the reasons I am proud to be the director of Human Resources at Winona Health is that I am empowered to deepen our organization’s work toward being the most welcoming and inclusive place to work and receive care. Just like many, I want to work somewhere that honors each person’s unique human experience. A place whose leaders and caregivers are challenged to deliberately seek to identify all disparities and opportunities for improvement to make our community healthier for all bodies. As a human resources professional, I don’t provide direct patient care, instead I help build a welcoming organization through constant intentional reviews in our policies and processes. We recognize that there is work to do, and we are relentlessly dedicated to continuous improvement. If you have feedback or suggestions to make Winona Health a more welcoming place for you, please let us know. Contact Us. We are Winona, Missy N. (she/her/hers)