Pride Month is an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of the patients and families we serve—and to reflect on how healthcare professionals can help every patient feel safe, respected, and seen.
For Amanda Shafton, CNM, national director of midwifery for Ob Hospitalist Group (OBHG), creating an affirming environment begins with something surprisingly simple: genuine curiosity.
“Really, just get to know your patients,” she said. “Stay curious as a healthcare provider and ask questions when you walk in, so that your patients and their families can be the ones to help guide you in the right direction.”
Research has shown that LGBTQ+ people often begin prenatal care later than their cisgender peers, in part because of concerns about stigma or previous negative healthcare experiences. Those delays can have real consequences for maternal and neonatal health. By fostering trust from the very first interaction, clinicians can help remove barriers that keep patients from seeking the care they need.
Ask, don’t guess
Shafton encourages providers to avoid assumptions about relationships, family structures, or gender identities. Rather than guessing who has accompanied a patient or how someone identifies, she recommends asking open-ended questions such as, “Can you tell me who’s here with you today?” or “What name and pronouns would you like me to use?”
And if you make a mistake? “Apologize and acknowledge it,” said Shafton. “We want to show people that we understand we’ve done something that wasn’t what we were intending to do, but don’t make it all about yourself.”
That approach reflects a larger philosophy of care at OBHG: meeting every patient where they are and providing evidence-based, compassionate care that is consistent across all populations.
“We really believe, and practice every day, that we provide care for all people,” Shafton said. “All families deserve to be celebrated.”
That commitment extends beyond individual patient encounters. Shafton encourages clinicians to examine hospital policies and workflows through the lens of inclusion, asking whether they allow every family to participate fully in the birth experience and whether existing practices unintentionally create barriers for patients with diverse family structures or identities.
Clinical excellence, human connections
One recent experience reinforced why this work matters.
Shafton cared for a laboring transgender man whose partner was a transgender woman. The couple had experienced discrimination during the birth of a previous child at another hospital and understandably arrived with concerns about how they would be treated.
Working alongside OB-GYN residents, Shafton intentionally focused on understanding the family’s birth preferences, respecting their identities, and providing the same thoughtful, high-quality care every family deserves.
The result was a joyful birth experience—and an opportunity for resident physicians to see inclusive, patient-centered care modeled in real time.
“It was just a really lovely birth,” Shafton said. “I hope that it helped heal for them a little bit of the experience that hadn’t been so good.”
For clinicians considering a career at OBHG, stories like this illustrate what it means to practice in an environment where clinical excellence and human connection go hand in hand. Our teams are committed to delivering the right provider, at the right time, with evidence-based care that respects every patient’s dignity.
This Pride Month, we celebrate not only the diversity of our patients and clinicians, but also the shared commitment that unites us: providing exceptional care for every family, every birth, and every journey.