October is LGBT History Month, and DFPM has ample opportunity to celebrate our long commitment to equality and health support to the LGBTQI+ communities in Utah.
One of the most powerful instances of LGBT history in the department is the work of Dr. Kristen Ries and Maggie Snyder, PA-C. Dr. Ries and Snyder were University of Utah providers, and Snyder graduated from the Utah Physician Assistant Program (UPAP) in 1990. Together, these trail-blazing women tackled the challenges of the AIDS crisis in Utah to provide desperately-needed help to patients and families.
Quiet Heroes is an Emmy-awarded documentary about Ries and Snyder which chronicles the difficulty Utah AIDS patients endured and the bravery and innovation of Ries' and Snyder's compassionate health response.
As we celebrate the history of LGBTQI+ communities in Utah and beyond, it's important to remember the way that healthcare interrelates with activism and advancement for marginalized groups.