Health is more than access to medicine—it is shaped by social, cultural, and environmental forces that determine how we live, work, and thrive. TAKING CARE is a forward-looking conference that brings together thought leaders, researchers, practitioners, and community voices to explore how equity must be placed at the center of health systems, policies, and innovations. 

PrEPing for Success: Building PrEP Prescribing Capacity in Primary Care

Rates of HIV infection have been increasing in Newfoundland and Labrador. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) medications are tools that can be used to prevent many of these infections; however, they are being underutilized by primary care providers (PCPs) and are inaccessible to many who could benefit from their use. This session aims to decrease PrEP access disparities by building PCP capacity to prescribe PrEP. There will also be notes woven throughout the workshop on how 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and other health professionals can use this information to advocate for themselves and/or their clients.

Julia Abundo (she/her) is the Provincial Coordinator of HIV/HCV Services at the ACNL and a registered social worker. Passionate about equitable healthcare for marginalized populations, she provides support services for people living with HIV and hepatitis C, as well as education and outreach for those wanting to learn more about prevention, testing, and treatment of STBBIs. Her previous work has included providing drop-in case management services for unhoused and precariously housed individuals in a community-based health centre, and providing settlement services for newcomers to Canada. Outside of work, she enjoys Saturday mornings with Queer Run Club YYT and knitting. 

Pathways to Gender-affirming surgery: understanding coverage, referrals, and access in NL. 

Accessing gender affirming surgery can feel confusing and overwhelming. This session walks through how surgery actually happens in Newfoundland and Labrador, including what is covered, how referrals and funding applications work, and what to expect when care requires travel outside the province. Designed for trans and gender diverse people and the community advocates who support them.   

Dr. Mari-Lynne Sinnott, MD CCFP (she/her) is a dedicated family physician with over a decade of experience providing inclusive and trauma-informed healthcare to her community. In her role as a part-time faculty member in the Family Medicine Department at Memorial University, she serves as one of the main preceptors for the Care of Underserved Populations Enhanced Skills Program. Her expertise and passion for this field are evident in her active involvement in both local and national research initiatives, where she collaborates with colleagues and learners on various academic projects, aiming to enhance understanding and improve care for underserved communities.  Outside of her professional commitments, Dr. Sinnott enjoys travel, reading, and hiking with her dog, Frankie. 

Fostering Collaboration of Services for LGBTQIA+ Newcomers in NL: A Training for Service for Providers

This workshop examines the health and wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ Newcomers in Newfoundland and Labrador. The experiences of LGBTQIA+ newcomers are different to those of other newcomers, and have unique settlement needs to the broader newcomer population. LGBTQIA+ newcomers often face compounded discrimination based on gender and/or sexual orientation, newcomer status, and race. This workshop will provide attendees a better understanding of barriers and best practices to fostering wellbeing, community and creating connection.

Dr. Sulaimon Giwa, interim dean and associate professor at Memorial University’s School of Social Work, and a member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists, examines how race, sexuality, gender, and systemic inequities shape 2S/LGBTQIA+ lives. His research advances equity, inclusion, and justice through community-engaged and culturally informed approaches.

Kimberly Offspring is a registered social worker and advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, gender equity, and social justice. As a Newcomer Community Program Coordinator at YWCA St. John’s, Kimberly supports women, gender diverse, and LGBTQIA+ newcomers through a participant-centered approach. She is passionate about developing responsive services and amplifying the voices of marginalized populations.

Kari Esparza-Sosa is a passionate 2SLGBTQIA+ community leader, systems navigator, educator, and researcher committed to fostering more equitable communities where every individual can thrive in all aspects of their lives. Kari currently supports women, gender diverse, and LGBTQIA+ newcomers as a Newcomer Community Program Coordinator at the YWCA St. John’s.

The conference is not only about identifying challenges but also about co-creating actionable solutions. By bridging perspectives across disciplines, TAKING CARE aims to inspire new ways of thinking and practical strategies to ensure that health—today and tomorrow—is a right enjoyed equitably by all. 

Seen or Judged? How Healthcare Systems Shape Care for People Who Use Substances 

This presentation examines barriers to healthcare access for people who use substances in Canada, with a specific focus on Newfoundland and Labrador, through a trauma-informed and systems-based lens. Drawing on current overdose and hospitalization data, it highlights how stigma, bias, and healthcare workers’ attitudes shape patient experiences, influence care-seeking behaviors, and contribute to avoidable health harms. The presentation explores how systemic factors—including rurality, service fragmentation, and criminalization—intersect with provider perceptions to limit equitable access to care. Emphasis is placed on the critical role of trauma-informed, non-judgmental healthcare practices in improving trust, engagement, and health outcomes for this highly stigmatized population. 

Jane Henderson, B.A., B.Ed., M.A, (she/her) is the Provincial Harm Reduction Consultant at the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre on Substance Use within Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services (NLHS). Jane began her career working in front-line community mental health and addictions for several years and then spent six years in senior leadership positions. She manages the Provincial Naloxone Program and is responsible for assisting the five NLHS Geographic Health Zones and their surrounding communities with adopting a harm reduction approach in addictions treatment.  She has a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology and finished course work towards a Ph.D in Community Health Medicine with a focus on harm reduction, duty of care, and people with substance use disorder. Jane started a National Naloxone group, co-chairs the Provincial Harm Reduction Collective, and contributes to many committees and working groups. She has a special interest in social justice and vulnerable populations and is a strong advocate for human rights, informed decision makingand consent. 

Change starts upstream — a glimpse into the liberatory effect of community-centered care in St. John’s

In the wake of a national overdose crisis, fuelled by a toxic drug supply, the province of Newfoundland & Labrador has seen a significant increase in overdoses, with over 100 reported fatalities since 2023. In an effort to address this crisis, Overdose Awareness & Response St. John’s (O.A.R.S.) has been operating a pop-up overdose prevention site every Friday night, since May of 2025.

The holistic approach undertaken by groups such as O.A.R.S. is slowly transforming the urban landscape of the city. Change starts upstream — by reimagining care in ways that transcend the borders of medical institutions, and bringing it back into the community, one conversation, one connection at a time.

Luca Schaefer (she/her) is a trans woman and community organizer who passionately advocates for the self-determination of sex workers, unhoused people, people who use drugs, and Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island and beyond. Luca moved to St John's in 2022 from Nogojiwanong Peterborough, and has since offered her ethics of care through various leadership roles with (OARS), Safe Works Access Program (SWAP), Safe Harbour Outreach Project (SHOP), Trans Youth NL, and Echo Pond Summer camp.

Alex McLean (they/them) is an MSc candidate in Community health in the Faculty of Medicine at Memorial University. They are a qualitative health researcher in training whose work focuses on how harm reduction is operationalized in the context of St. John's, spatially, socially, and politically, with attention to both institutional and grassroots efforts in the community. Alex moved to St. John’s from Ottawa, the traditional unceded territories of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation. They have experience in community organizing for a number of initiatives during their time in Toronto, focusing specifically on sexual health, sexual violence prevention, 2SLGBTQ+ advocacy, and disability justice. These experiences have informed the way Alex approaches research, grounded in local knowledge and community collaboration.

Building 2SLGBTQIA+ Inclusive Healthcare in Newfoundland and Labrador: What Quadrangle NL Has Done and Will Do

Access to safe, affirming, and inclusive healthcare remains one of the most pressing concerns for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities in Newfoundland and Labrador. Building on Quadrangle’s ongoing programs, this panel will highlight innovative approaches to supporting community members while addressing systemic barriers in healthcare.

• Neska Savage, frontline trans navigator

• Luca Schaefer, community healthcare advocate

• Dr. Jian Fu, knowledge mobilization practitioner

Gender-Affirming Primary Care Toolkit

Approximately 1-in-300 Canadians over the age of 15 identify as transgender or non-binary, a population disproportionately affected by healthcare inequities (Scheim, 2021). Because primary care providers (PCPs) are often the first point of contact for individuals seeking gender-affirming care (GAC), their capacity to provide knowledgeable, affirming care is critical. In Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), research conducted by TSNL found that 84% of surveyed patients seeking GAC were referred outside their family physician, highlighting systemic barriers to timely and comprehensive care. To better understand these gaps, qualitative interviews with five gender-diverse individuals in rural NL informed a province-wide survey exploring access, barriers, and successes related to GAC over the past five years, revealing recurring challenges such as limited provider knowledge, reliance on referrals, and a lack of affirming clinical environments.

These research findings directly informed the development of an educational toolkit. Part one introduces foundational concepts related to gender identity, inclusive healthcare practices, and strategies for creating welcoming clinical environments, while part two focuses on gender affirming primary healthcare, principles of care, NL specific barriers, clinical conversations, treatment planning, and current standards of care. Ongoing consultation with community members and experienced providers ensured the toolkits accuracy and relevance. Next steps for this project focus on outreach to health clinics, dissemination through academic and professional networks, and delivery of workshops and training opportunities to support more equitable, sustainable access to GAC in NL.

Sydney Knapman (they/she) is a non-binary Program Facilitator for Trans Support NL with a background in applied psychological science. Sydney enjoys creating, implementing, and discussing high-quality, inclusive research and survey practices and how they can benefit research quality. Their personal and professional background has centered around a passion for exploring ways to make research more queer- and community-oriented. This includes emphasizing the importance of involving community members throughout the research process, from project design to knowledge sharing.

Iterative Activism and Listening for Resilience

This final keynote explores how the concepts of resilience and listening are variously connected to activism and advocacy that is committed to community wellbeing.

Ailsa Craig is a cultural sociologist and queer and trans activist whose work focuses on art, inequality, gender, sexuality and community. A professor and administrator at Memorial University, Ailsa is invested in bringing academic insights into practice that builds and explores vibrant community, and has helped build and/or worked with a wide range of queer and trans initiatives in NL and Ontario, including the Intergenerational LGBT Artist Residency, Make it Better NL, The Trans Needs Coalition, Toronto Pride, Xtra! Magazine, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, and the LGBT Youthline.