Listening and Learning: 2SLGBTQIA+ Inclusion Across NL Health Service

2SLGBTQIA+ patients often encounter barriers to equitable health care and employment opportunities. NL Health Services recognizes the importance of creating meaningful change to reduce these barriers. The co-leads of our Sexual and Gender Diversity Employee Resource Group will share the work we are doing to improve education and awareness of issues that face the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, provide resources to support NL Health Services’ staff who want to learn more, and learn from the community itself to help inform our future planning. Participants will learn about what NL Health Services is doing to listen, learn, and take action to create safe, equitable, and affirming spaces for all.

Sandra Thoms (she/they) advances equity and inclusion as a healthcare worker, advocate, and researcher. Based in St. John’s, NL, they work in frontline community mental health and addictions with NL Health Services where they also co-lead the Sexual and Gender Diversity Employee Resource Group, championing equitable policies, providing staff education in inclusion, and promoting organizational accountability to create safer, more affirming spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ people. As a Research Assistant with University of Calgary’s Faculty of Social Work, Sandra conducts community-based research on crisis intervention for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and draws on these findings to facilitate crisis response training. Their work translates research into actionable education, fostering affirming, trauma-informed, and equitable systems of care. Beyond research and advocacy, Sandra explores social justice through textile arts and creative praxes that reflect on identity, community, and connection. They bring the same creativity and critical thinking into their professional work, blending curiosity, care, and equity-centered action. 

Sandra Thoms (she/they) 

Caroline (Caro) Powell (she/her) is a passionate advocate for inclusive health access who believes in the power of connection to drive systemic change. As the Co-Lead of the Sexual and Gender Diversity Employee Resource Group (ERG) for the NL Health Services (NLHS) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Reconciliation (DEIR) Council, Caro works to ensure that NLHS is not just talking about inclusion, but actively learning from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to create safe, affirming spaces for all. Originally from Glovertown and a resident of St. John’s since 2016, Caro brings a perspective deeply rooted in the unique cultural landscape of the province. By day, she is an Information Management (IM) professional; by night, she is an interdisciplinary artist and body liberation activist with Fat Babes of NL. By leveraging her professional expertise in information systems and a natural charisma to empower marginalized communities, Caro strives to ensure that every individual feels seen, respected, and supported by our healthcare system.

Caroline (Caro) Powell (she/her)