Explanation for Our New Name: The Network for LGBT Health Equity

 

by guest blogger Francisco Buchting

The Network Steering Committee Chair

Hello fellow Network members,

We are very pleased to announce that our Steering Committee, in acknowledgment of our increased wellness work, has finished consideration of our name change and has voted to change it slightly from The Network to LGBT Tobacco Control to The Network for LGBT Health Equity. Over the next six months, The Network will begin to roll out a new promotion campaign to brand the new name and the expanded focus. Although our focus and majority of our work will stay the same, focusing on LGBT Inclusion and Tobacco Control, our mission will expand into wellness and health equity work inclusive of tobacco.

 

The Steering Committee for The Network has been engaged in strategic planning for the usual reasons you may expect, especially considering how best to ensure The Network stays relevant to its membership while staying at the cutting edge of tobacco work and emerging allied health areas.  Changing the name of The Network was something that initiated significant profound discussions at Steering Committee meetings.  In the midst of those proceeding, we realize that we, as Steering Committee members, needed more data to better inform our deliberations and be able to make the best recommendation on the name issue.  One of the action items that emerged was to conduct a survey of The Network’s membership to get a better sense of what LGBT health areas folks are working on, besides tobacco.  The results of the survey showed that the majority of the membership is working on other LGBT health areas in addition to tobacco and that there was an interest in obtaining information/resources on these other areas.  Coupled with these results and further Steering Committee deliberations, was a host of emerging issues, that led to the Steering Committee putting forth a recommendation for The Network to change its name to The Network for LGBT Health Equity and initiate a name changing communication process.  We believe that this and other measures will position this Network to stay competitive for future funding in tobacco and other allied areas beyond the current CDC grant, i.e., for this network to go on once the current CDC funding ends and not cease to exist.

 

The Steering Committee members are committed to the ongoing need for increased LGBT tobacco work as we plan for smart strategic sustainability and growth.  To that end, one of the things we have done as we continue to move through the strategic planning process is create two working groups composed of Steering Committee members.  One working group has been tasked with solely working on tobacco while the other group has been tasked with working on all other allied health areas.

 

Lastly, I have to let you know that the Steering Committee is focused not only on fortifying the tobacco work done through The Network and the goals of the CDC grant, but also ensuring that the Network can be sustained two years from now. If you have any questions please feel free to email us at lgbthealthequity@gmail.com and we can talk more about this exciting venture.

 

Sincerely,

Francisco O. Buchting

Steering Committee Chair