Inspira Advantage interviewed Hannah Pewee to help pre-med students get into medical school. Hannah is the associate director of communications at TaskForce Prevention and Community Services.
From your perspective, what are the biggest barriers LGBTQ individuals face when trying to access equitable healthcare, and how does TaskForce Chicago work to break down those barriers?
One of the biggest barriers is a lack of trust and representation. Too often, LGBTQ+ people—especially Black and Brown queer and trans folks—have faced discrimination, dismissal, or outright harm in healthcare settings by people who don’t related to their lived experiences. That creates understandable fear and avoidance. Another barrier is access: whether it’s insurance, transportation, or simply not having affirming providers available on the West Side, there are systemic gaps that keep people from care. At TaskForce, we work to break those barriers by meeting people where they are. We offer free HIV testing, produce days, fitness and wellness programming, and housing support in a space that is explicitly affirming and culturally competent. By creating an environment where people feel safe and respected, we bridge the gap between community members and the care they deserve.
For aspiring healthcare professionals who want to better serve LGBTQ communities, what skills, knowledge, or mindset shifts are most important to develop early in their training?
I’d say the first mindset shift is humility—recognizing that you may not know everything, and that listening is one of the most powerful skills you can develop. Culturally competent care isn’t just about knowing terminology; it’s about respecting people’s lived experiences and identities. For LGBTQ communities, that means getting comfortable talking about gender, sexuality, and health needs without stigma or assumptions. It also means being aware of how racism, poverty, and other structural inequities layer on top of LGBTQ identity to shape health outcomes. Future providers who want to do this work well need to lead with empathy, seek out training from LGBTQ-led organizations, and stay open to ongoing learning.
TaskForce Chicago has been a leader in advancing LGBTQ health equity in the city. Can you share a recent initiative or success story that highlights your impact—and what lessons future healthcare workers can take from it?
A recent example is our PrEP4Teens Arts & Health Ambassador Program. We brought together 20 young people for a six-week summer intensive that combined sexual health education with creative expression. They learned about PrEP, practiced peer-to-peer advocacy, and shared their voices through art and performance. The evaluation showed that nearly 90% left more confident in their knowledge, and over 70% said they were ready to share what they learned with their peers. The lesson for healthcare workers is that education is most effective when it’s not top-down, but community-led. When young people see themselves as ambassadors of knowledge, they don’t just absorb information—they carry it forward and transform their communities.
Inspira Advantage is proud to feature insights from leaders like Hannah Pewee to help pre-med students understand the importance of culturally responsive care and inclusive support for diverse communities.
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