June is Pride Month, an incredible opportunity for us to celebrate the rich diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community at Women’s and beyond.
Name: Sandra Robinson
Pronouns: she/her
Title & Department: Director, Perioperative Services | Administrative Director, TAPMI
On the WCH team for: 3 years
1. What excites you most about Pride month?
Pride month provides an opportunity to shine a spotlight on WCH’s commitment to creating a culture that embraces and celebrates Pride and provides a space for patients, staff and allies of the 2SLGBTQI+ community to feel supported and to live authentically.
2. What work makes WCH an inclusive place for 2SLGBTQI+ Communities?
WCH is setting the standard for how the healthcare system should support the health and wellness of transgender and gender diverse clients. WCH has implemented actionable strategies that demonstrates its commitment to the inclusivity of 2SLGBTQI+ communities. Mandatory eLearning, pronoun buttons for staff and patients, embedding preferred names and pronouns in EPIC, and honouring how patients self-identify and want to be addressed are a few of the ways that WCH is creating an inclusive space. We are responsive to comments, complaints and suggestions and – e.g. creating a gender-neutral changeroom for staff in perioperative services in response to feedback from a learner.
3. What is your greatest wish for 2025 as it relates to Pride Month and healthcare?
As the only publicly funded hospital in Ontario that provides gender-affirming surgery, my wish is to eliminate the barriers that delay access to our program and to be able to provide the wraparound care that supports our clients journey and sets them up for success. I also wish for WCH to continue the amazing work we are doing to be trailblazers in how the healthcare system creates space for 2SLGBTQI+ communities.
4. Who is your 2SLGBTQ+ Pride role model? Why?
Anyone who uses their influence and positionality to advocate for systemic change alongside 2SLGBTQI+ communities.