On October 11, County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer Cook teamed up for a discussion on LGBTQ healthcare access. This important conversation is happening in partnership with Howard Brown Health’s President and CEO David E. Munar. During this roundtable, community leaders and elected officials discussed numerous topics related to healthcare access for LGBTQ+ people in Chicago and Cook County – including housing insecurity for LGBTQ youth and access to healthcare services. “Cook County strives to be a place that is inclusive and welcoming to all members of the LGBTQ community,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “It is especially important that affordable, accessible healthcare is made available to the LGBTQ community. I am grateful to organizations like Howard Brown Health for their good work in advancing healthcare equity and to Commissioner Gainer for convening this important, productive conversation.” This is an opportunity for engagement that will continue the ongoing relationship between community and representatives invested in their care. “It’s not enough to just highlight these matters” said Gainer. “lt’s about bringing everyone to the table who can make the change — policies are being informed by the community.” The LGBTQ+ community has unique health challenges that providers and policymakers should be aware of and how best to connect patients and resources.