Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset will honor three LGBTQ+ advocates at a special event on Oct. 30 to celebrate the renaming of its PROUD Family Health, the first center in New Jersey to offer specialized primary medical care services to the LGBTQ+ community. The center will be renamed in memory of Barbra “Babs” Casbar Siperstein, a transgender rights activist.
The event is presented by Garden State Equality, Sanofi and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.
The evening’s honorees are:
- Garden State Equality, which will be presented with the Babs Siperstein Advocacy Award. Established in 2004, Garden State Equality is the largest LGBTQ advocacy organization in New Jersey and one of the most successful statewide civil rights organizations for the LGBTQ community in the nation. Its services include advocacy, policy work and training programs.
- Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, who will be presented with the Babs Siperstein Inspiring Progress Award. Sen. Weinberg, a Democrat representing the 37th legislative district, has been a leading voice for LGBT rights throughout her nearly 30-year career in the New Jersey legislature. She co-sponsored the Babs Siperstein Law, which went into effect earlier this year, allowing New Jerseyans to change their gender identity on their birth certificate without “proof of surgery.”
- Sanofi North America Inclusion & Diversity and Equal Employment Department, which will be presented with the Babs Siperstein Corporate Pride Award. Based in Bridgewater, Sanofi has been nationally recognized by DiversityInc as one of its “Top Companies for LGBT Employees” based on its efforts to hire, retain and promote LGBT individuals.
“Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset has been proud to lead the way in advancing health care for the LGBTQ+ community in New Jersey,” said Tony Cava, president and chief executive officer, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset. “On a night when we pay tribute to Babs Siperstein whose name is synonymous with the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in New Jersey, we recognize the efforts of other leaders throughout the state who have had a far-reaching impact on the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals.”
The event, which will be held at 6 p.m. at The Palace at Somerset Park in Somerset, will benefit the programs and services at PROUD Family Health.
PROUD Family Health, which opened in 2017, offers hormone therapy and monitoring; HIV care; referrals for specialty services; health education and counseling. The center recently moved to new space on the hospital’s campus with additional staff and is open five days per week. The hospital also offers a monthly support group for family members of transgender individuals.
Tickets are $300. Young professional tickets for individuals age 30 and under are $125. To register for the event, visit www.rwjbh.org/PROUDCelebration.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information, contact Jessica Ust at 908-252-4056 or Jessica.Ust@rwjbh.org.
About Our Sponsors
Garden State Equality
Garden State Equality is New Jersey’s largest LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning) advocacy and education organization with over 150,000 members. Our mission is to provide quality, cutting-edge community programs and services to meet the needs of LGBTQ individuals in our state and pass pro-equality policies. www.GardenStateEquality.org
Sanofi US
Sanofi is dedicated to supporting people through their health challenges. We are a global biopharmaceutical company focused on human health. We prevent illness with vaccines, provide innovative treatments to fight pain and ease suffering. We stand by the few who suffer from rare diseases and the millions with long-term chronic conditions.
With more than 100,000 people in 100 countries, Sanofi is transforming scientific innovation into health care solutions around the globe.
Sanofi, Empowering Life
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state's oldest and largest health insurer is a tax-paying, not-for-profit health service corporation, providing a wide array of medical, dental, vision and prescription insurance products and services. Horizon BCBSNJ is leading the transformation of health care in New Jersey by working with doctors and hospitals to deliver innovative, patient-centered programs that reward the quality, not quantity, of care patients receive. Learn more at www.HorizonBlue.com. Horizon BCBSNJ is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association serving more than 3.7 million members.