Lincoln Hospital’s Pride Center provides integrated gender‑affirming care alongside primary‑care services and chronic‑disease management, Dr. Aki Fisher, chief of ambulatory care and deputy chief medical officer, told BronxNet’s Inside Lincoln Hospital.

“ I see myself more as a conductor of the orchestra Yeah,” Fisher said, describing his role coordinating clinical teams across the hospital’s ambulatory practices. He said Lincoln operates 63 practices and that the Pride Center was created so lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer patients would “be comfortable engaging in health care” while receiving care tailored to their lived experience.

Why it matters: The Pride Center is intended to reduce barriers to care by combining routine preventive services—annual visits, cancer screening and chronic‑disease control—with gender‑affirming services such as hormone therapy and surgical referrals. Fisher said the clinic also was recognized for LGBTQ health equity by a national LGBTQ health organization.

What it offers: Fisher described a mix of in‑house and referral services. “We have plastic surgeons. We have gynecologists. Obviously, we have oral surgeons,” he said when listing surgical specialists available at Lincoln. He said the hospital provides hormonal therapy in‑clinic and performs some top and bottom procedures; when Lincoln does not offer a particular procedure, staff work with patients to identify LGBTQ‑friendly specialists in the community.

The Pride Center is not limited to hormones, Fisher emphasized: it includes a ‘‘treat‑to‑target’’ program for patients with diabetes or hypertension that pairs patients with a disease manager—typically a nurse—to coordinate care until clinical goals are met. The clinic also integrates cancer‑screening programs and referrals to psychiatric services when needed.

Access and affordability: Fisher described systemwide pathways for people with limited insurance or concerns about immigration status. He said NYC Care—Health + Hospitals’ access program—can assign a primary care provider to any New York City resident regardless of immigration status and that Lincoln has financial counselors to evaluate Medicare/Medicaid eligibility and link patients to sliding‑scale or other coverage options. The transcript records an incomplete contact number for the system contact center ('888 4'); Fisher advised callers to request a Pride Center or NYC Care through the Health + Hospitals contact line.

Care coordination and special populations: Lincoln’s Pride Center includes HIV specialists, Fisher said, and staff monitor interactions between antiretroviral drugs and hormones so patients remain virally suppressed while receiving gender‑affirming care. He said the clinic also connects patients with substance‑use supports and recovery programs when appropriate.

Clinical precautions: Fisher advised careful follow‑up for patients on hormone therapy because estrogen can modestly increase insulin resistance and therefore may require medication adjustments for people with diabetes. He also urged smoking cessation before surgery—“the optimal time is 8 weeks before your surgery; 4 weeks is acceptable as well”—and said Lincoln links patients to smoking‑cessation treatments.

What’s next: Fisher invited community members to choose Lincoln for care, citing a new open‑access program that allows primary‑care patients to see a provider when acutely ill.

The interview was part of BronxNet’s Inside Lincoln Hospital series.