CHICAGO – To officially launch its National LGBTQ+ Fellowship Program, the American Medical Association Foundation (AMAF) today called for letters of intent from eligible U.S. medical schools and teaching institutions interested in developing a fellowship in LGBTQ+ health. This unique initiative is designed to improve the health of, and address health care inequities experienced by, LGBTQ+ individuals, increase the availability of culturally competent medical specialists with special expertise in LGBTQ+ health, and further integrate an LGBTQ+ health care curriculum into medical education.

The call for letters of intent is the first step to determining which institution will receive a grant of up to $750,000 to plan and implement three consecutive one-year medical fellowships in LGBTQ+ health. The inaugural grantee will develop the LGBTQ+ Fellowship program infrastructure and curriculum, recruit and select one qualified candidate per year, and provide the one-year training experience. The Fellowship Program encourages information sharing and collaborative efforts to sustain and expand the nation’s ability to develop highly qualified leaders in LGBTQ+ health and exponentially increase the capacity to care for LGBTQ+ patients.

“This innovative fellowship reflects just how important it is for us to address the intersecting issues of discrimination, stigma, access to and quality of care faced by the LGBTQ+ community,” said John D. Evans, chair of the AMAF’s Commission on LGBTQ+ Health. “It is imperative that LGBTQ+ health care become integrated into medical education, especially mindful that the data points to the lack of access to specialized care and increased bias against LGBTQ+ patients. It is incredibly gratifying to see all of the hard work of the Commission come to fruition.”

“The AMA Foundation is immensely proud to launch the National LGBTQ+ Fellowship Program,” said its AMAF President Jacqueline Bello, M.D. “This program underscores our longstanding commitment to health equity and is the first step to ensuring that LGBTQ+ patients have access to truly excellent medical care. We are grateful to Mr. Evans and the LGBTQ+ Fellowship Commission for their knowledge, experience and commitment to working with the AMAF to create a pipeline of trained LGBTQ+ health specialists.”

Following a review of the submitted letters, the AMAF’s Commission on LGBTQ+ Health will invite select institutions to submit a full proposal for consideration. The first grant will be announced in June 2021.

Since 1950, the AMA Foundation has been a leader in health care philanthropy with programs that advance public health and medical education. As the philanthropic arm of the world’s largest physician organization, the AMAF has awarded more than $121 million in grants and scholarships, demonstrating nationwide programmatic excellence.