Some of the experiences that have shaped my perspective most have come from working with young people and supporting organizations committed to making sure every young person feels seen, heard and supported — including LGBTQ+ youth navigating housing, health care and other essential systems.
That work has made one thing clear to me: Good intentions are not enough. What matters is whether young people feel seen, whether their experiences are acknowledged and whether systems respond in ways that truly meet their needs.
Over the years, I have supported youth-focused work through organizations including Ruth Ellis Center, AIDS Walk Detroit and Life Directions. My involvement with Ruth Ellis Center has been especially meaningful, including board service as Development Committee Chair.
Board service and fundraising matter. But the lesson that stays with me most is this: When organizations truly listen to young people — including LGBTQ+ youth — and respond to what they hear, the results are more humane and more effective.
I have seen how much it matters when a young person can enter a space without having to explain or defend who they are. That kind of welcome is not symbolic; it can change everything.
One example of this is The Ruth Ellis Health & Wellness Centers, created with Henry Ford Health, that grew out of conversations with LGBTQ+ young people who described barriers to care and experiences that left them feeling unsupported.
Rather than simply adding another service, the organization rethought the model. The result was an integrated approach that brings primary care, behavioral health, psychiatry, case management, housing and wellness services together in one place. That is what it looks like when institutions build systems around people instead of asking people to fit the system.
Seeing the center’s impact firsthand reinforced something I carry into my work at Health Alliance Plan by Henry Ford Health: the best solutions do not start with assumptions. They start with listening and a clear understanding of the barriers people actually face.
In health care, one of the biggest challenges is helping people access care before a health issue becomes a crisis — when treatment is more complex, outcomes are worse and costs are higher. The smarter approach is helping people get care, support and resources earlier, before small challenges become major problems.
But that only happens if we are willing to confront why people are not seeking care in the first place.
Sometimes the barriers are financial or logistical. Often, they are tied to broader social determinants of health such as housing, transportation, support and dignity.
My experience with Ruth Ellis Center reinforced that access and experience are not the same thing. Care can exist, but if people do not trust the system, do not feel represented in it or do not believe it was designed with them in mind, they may never benefit from it.
That is one advantage of Health Alliance Plan’s integration with Henry Ford Health. Because we are closely connected to care delivery, we can learn from patient experiences, clinical outcomes and community partnerships like the Ruth Ellis Health & Wellness Centers — and use those insights to shape products, engage members and connect people with care.
Pride Month is often about visibility and celebration, as it should be. But it is also a good time to ask whether we are creating communities and systems where people truly belong. For LGBTQ+ people, feeling seen and respected can shape everything from opportunity to whether they seek care when they need it.
Pride, to me, is a celebration of acceptance. I recognize that my own experience has been shaped by my family’s support, and I know many others have faced challenges I have not. That is part of why this work matters to me — and why I value being part of an organization that honors and respects LGBTQ+ people and people from all backgrounds and cultures.
When I think back to the conversations that have stayed with me most, they are rarely about programs or strategy. They are about what it feels like to be seen — and the damage done when people are not.
The most effective organizations I have encountered are not the ones that claim to have all the answers. They are the ones willing to listen, learn and change.
That is the lesson I carry into my work every day: leadership is not just about hearing people. It is about being willing to change because of what you have heard — and being accountable for what happens if you do not.
Marc Vanderburg is the Vice President of Retention & Sales Operations at Health Alliance Plan by Henry Ford Health, where he oversees its wellness program and a 60-plus member team that includes sales and labor relationships. Marc was honored with Crain’s Detroit Business Notable LGBTQ in Business award in 2021 and has supported youth-focused work through organizations including Ruth Ellis Center, AIDS Walk Detroit and Life Directions. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters, and we may publish it online and in print.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Listening to LGBTQ+ youth leads to better health care | Opinion
Reporting by Marc Vanderburg, Op-ed contributor / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Marc Vanderburg, Op-ed contributor | USA TODAY Network
