Opening Keynote

Presented by Dr. Sara Thomas (she/they) and Dr. Em Lane (they/she), this conference will take the form of a joint presentation on current 2SLGBTQIA+ health issues in New Brunswick.

Dr Sara Thomas is a family doctor based out of Saint John and Sackville NB. She currently works primarily out of the North End Wellness Centre in Saint John NB. Her clinical practice involves community collaborative primary care, hospitalist work, and gender affirming care in both Saint John and Sackville. In addition to her patient care work, she is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Dalhousie University and teaches medical students and residents both in and out of clinical settings. She is passionate about improving health care access in NB for the queer community, particularly access to gender affirming care.

Dr Em Lane is a family physician in their hometown of Fredericton whose clinical practice is focused on providing comprehensive mental health, sexual health, and gender-affirming care. They are an active member of the New Brunswick Trans Health Network and participate in various educational, advocacy, and health policy initiatives related to improving gender-affirming care access provincially. Em completed her Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, medical school at Dalhousie’s Saint John campus, and Family Medicine residency at Queen’s University in Kingston, ON.

The conference will be followed by a dialogue with Zivi Richard (they/them), Christian Blanchard (he/him), and Sarah Morrison (she/her), three members of the Summit’s advisory committee from the community, clinical, and institutional sectors.

Zivi Richard is a queer and non-binary clinical social worker and 2SLGBTQIA+ Policy Analyst at the Office of Women and Gender Equity, as well as a member of the Advisory Committee for the Provincial Health Summit. They have fifteen years of experience in gender-based violence prevention, gender diversity inclusion, and gender-affirming care.

Christian Blanchard is Regional Advisor for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) at the Vitalité Health Network, and a member of the Advisory Committee for the Provincial Health Summit. A former facilitator with GRIS Acadie and former Executive Director of Acadie Love, he has worked for several years to promote awareness, solidarity, and inclusion for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

Sarah Morrison is an occupational therapist with Horizon Health Network and a member of the Advisory Committee for the Provincial Health Summit. She is committed to promoting the well-being and inclusion of children and youth, particularly those who are neurodivergent and 2SLGBTQIA+.