San Francisco’s well-known women’s health center has quietly dropped the word “women” from its name.
Lyon-Martin Women’s Health Service’s board of directors voted April 25 to make the change in response to requests from transgender patients and potential clients that the center received through e-mails and its annual patient satisfaction survey, said Dr. Dawn Harbatkin, medical and executive director. Currently, about one-third of the clinic’s 1,500 clients are transgender, both male to female and female to male, Harbatkin said, and trans patients are a fast growing part of the clinic’s client base.
“It was a very difficult decision. I think that having a women’s health center is important and serving women is important, but yet it’s not all of who we serve anymore,” said Harbatkin, 39, an out lesbian, regarding the board’s decision.
Harbatkin stressed that the clinic’s mission to serve women, in particular lesbian and bisexual women, hasn’t changed, and noted the center is retaining the names of lesbian pioneers Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, for which it is named. The women don’t have any formal connection to the center.
“As far as I’m concerned, we are not concerned as long as they still have Lyon-Martin in the name,” Lyon said late Tuesday.
“We are not the women’s clinic, we are the queer clinic,” said Lyon-Martin board President Laura Kogan. “Just dropping … one word, we have opened the … door to the entire community.”
Kogan doesn’t see men rushing to use the clinic’s services, because of the many services in the city that already exist for gay men.
“I don’t have any fear the lesbian community is going to be freaked out by this,” said Kogan, herself a lesbian, pointing out that the community has seen the evolving inclusion of bisexuals, transgenders, and queers over the past 15 to 20 years.
While the change isn’t official until July 13, Lyon-Martin has been using its new name in promotional materials, including a brochure for the new “Women Like Me” health education partnership the clinic has with Good Vibrations.
The new name is part of a host of changes Lyon-Martin has undergone during Harbatkin’s first year at the helm. Since Harbatkin became head of the 28-year-old center in June 2006, it has developed new community partnerships, garnered new grants, added mental health services, and brought in new board members.
“It’s been a ride,” said Harbatkin about her first year on the job.
Within the past year Lyon-Martin increased its annual budget from $1.1 million in 2006 to $1.4 million in 2007, according to Harbatkin. The increase includes a $202,000 grant from California Health Facilities Financing Authority to purchase new office and medical equipment; a partnership with California Pacific Medical Center to provide Lyon-Martin patients with free on-site lab tests and $30,000 for lab tests that need to be done off-site at Quest; and the partnership with Good Vibrations.
Betty Sullivan, Ph.D., a volunteer for Lyon-Martin and director of special projects at Good Vibrations, coordinated that partnership, which produced the Menopause the Musical benefit earlier this month that raised over $11,000 for the clinic.
On top of building new relationships within the community, Harbatkin increased services to meet the increased demands. Within the past year, according to Harbatkin, the number of patients that receive care from Lyon-Martin has doubled.
Harbatkin, who previously worked at the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center in New York City, is a specialist in transgender health care, as is Dr. Nick Gorton, who is transgender and commutes twice a week from the University of California at Davis to volunteer at the clinic.
Harbatkin estimates that 84 percent of Lyon-Martin patients don’t have health insurance and that 90 percent of the patients are 200 percent below the federal poverty level.
“Every care provider I’ve ever encountered there has been fantastic,” said Jennifer, 37 who declined to provide her last name, a “mostly straight” patient at Lyon-Martin. “I just keep going back. Even if I could just afford a regular place or a regular doctor I would probably just donate that to Lyon-Martin because I just really like going there.”
Harbatkin attributes the increase in clients to the sense of stability the staff members have worked to create for clients.
“When they come here they know that they get to see the same person every time they come or almost every time they come,” said Harbatkin. “Our patients are so thankful for what we are able to provide.”
Harbatkin acknowledged that in spite of its recent grants and partnerships, funding remains a challenge for the clinic.
Pride breast health
Women won’t have to visit Lyon-Martin to receive breast exams as the clinic is bringing services to the community this weekend.
On Friday, June 22 at the Trans March and on Saturday, June 23 at the Dyke March, health care professionals will conduct breast education and exams in Dolores Park. Staff and volunteers will be visible in the park wearing black T-shirts with Alison Bechdel’s Dykes to Watch Out For ‘sMo and Ginger checking each other’s breasts during the Pride weekend kickoff events.
The Pride breast cancer check-up is a part of Lyon-Martin’s new $69,000 grant from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to conduct breast cancer screenings and breast health care outreach and education to women and transgender women for the next year.
“You’re going to see a lot more,” said Kogen, who described the changes Lyon-Martin was going through as a “rebirth.” “What you will see at Pride is just the beginning for us and people are going to say, ‘Wow! It’s a whole new Lyon-Martin.'”
