Congratulations to the 2024 GLMA Achievement Awardees!

Since 1990, GLMA’s Annual Achievement Awards have celebrated trailblazers in LGBTQ+ health, honoring both individuals and organizations for their groundbreaking contributions and commitment to the community. These awards shine a spotlight on those who have dedicated their work to advancing LGBTQ+ health and their pursuit of health equity for all. All Achievement Awardees have one thing in common: Each award winner has made a significant impact in on the health and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community.

The importance of these awards extends far beyond mere recognition; they serve as a beacon of hope for all working toward the advancement of LGBTQ+ health, inspiring others to strive for excellence and innovation in this critical field. By highlighting these achievements, the awards underscore the ongoing need for advocacy and action in the pursuit of LGBTQ+ health equity.

The 2024 GLMA Achievement Awards recipients were honored at GLMA's 42nd Annual Conference on LGBTQ+ Health which took place in Charlotte, North Carolina, from September 30 - October 2, 2024. 

In 2024, for the first time ever, GLMA accepted nominations for six distinct award categories for the GLMA Annual Achievement Award. These new awards aim to honor the diverse and specialized contributions within our community, ensuring that each individual's unique accomplishments receive the recognition and celebration they deserve. 

Nominations were accepted for the following awards:

Lifetime Achievement Award

Henry H. Ng, MD,MPH (he/they)

Henry Ng, MD, MPH is the Director of the Center for LGBTQ+ Care and the Transgender Surgery & Medicine Program at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Ng is a Professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Dr. Ng graduated with a BS in Biochemistry and a MD degree from Michigan State University. In 2012, they completed a Masters in Public Health degree at Case Western Reserve University with an emphasis on Health Promotion/Disease Prevention for LGBTQ+ populations. . Dr. Ng’s clinical and academic work focuses on delivering culturally and clinically competent care to medically vulnerable populations. Dr. Ng has been an active leader in LGBTQ+ health care since 2007 and co-founded of the first LGBTQ+ health service in the state of Ohio, the Pride Clinic, at MetroHealth Medical Center. Dr. Ng is a former board member and past president of GLMA. Dr. Ng continues to advocate for LGBTQ+ health through teaching LGBTQ+ health and public/population health to local and international audiences. They have served as the Assistant Dean for Admissions at CWRU School of Medicine working on diversity and inclusion initiatives and have served as an associate editor for the journal, LGBT Health. They are a senior associate editor for the journal, Annals of LGBTQ Public and Population Health and serve as an at large member of the American Medical Association's Advisory Committee for LGBTQ+ Issues.

Local Community Achievement Award

Charlotte Trans Health

Charlotte Trans Health (CTH) is a multidisciplinary collective of healthcare providers dedicated to reducing health and healthcare disparities for the transgender and gender diverse (TGD) community by increasing clinical competency and interdisciplinary collaboration among healthcare providers and increasing access to competent, gender-affirming care. CTH began as a small consultation group and has grown to nearly 80 medical, mental health, and allied health provider-members. An intention of formalizing as a 501(c)3 non-profit in 2020 was to extend services to economically disadvantaged members of our local TGD community. Programs include educational initiatives, community outreach, and direct services like the Providing Access to Trans Healthcare (PATH) program, offering free case management, therapy, and medical care to uninsured TGD residents in the Charlotte Metro area. CTH's innovative approach involves strategic partnerships with local health centers, impactful social media campaigns, and a comprehensive provider directory to facilitate easy access to affirming healthcare services.

Achievement in Advocacy

Adrian Shanker (he/him)

Adrian Shanker (he/him) is Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Policy and Senior Advisor on LGBTQI+ Health Equity at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Before joining the Biden-Harris administration, Adrian led LGBTQI+ community centers in Allentown, Pennsylvania and Marin County, California and served as commissioner on the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, the state civil rights enforcement agency. He also previously served as a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. Adrian earned his B.A. in political science and religion studies from Muhlenberg College and earned a graduate certificate in LGBT health policy and practice from George Washington University. Adrian has published numerous articles and has edited two anthologies on LGBTQI+ health policy--Bodies and Barriers: Queer Activists on Health and Crisis and Care: Queer Activist Responses to a Global Pandemic.

Achievement in Advocacy

Toni Newman (she/her)

Toni Newman is the Director of The Coalition for Justice and Equality Across Movements and The Director of The Center to End the Epidemics at NMAC (National Minority AIDS Council) in Washington DC. She is the Chair/Managing Director of TransCanWork. Toni is a 3-time CEO (St. James Infirmary, LYRIC Youth Foundation and The Black AIDS Institute). Toni is the Membership Chair of the California Black Leadership Council. Her memoir I Rise-The Transformation of Toni Newman is a best seller and was turned into a short film called Heart of a Woman. Toni holds a BA degree from Wake Forest University and a candidate for a Juris of Doctorate. This year Toni has been honored by the Anthem Awards and the National Bar Association LGBTQ division for her advocacy for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Achievement in Practice

Terry A. Hackworth, DNP, MBA, APRN, NP-C (he/him)

Dr. Hackworth has been a healthcare professional for the past 34 years starting as registered nurse in 1990. He has spent with last 12 years a nurse practitioner specializing in the care of LGBTQ+ community with a concentration in gender affirming care, sexual affirming care, HIV and HIV prevention. As a member of the community himself, he is committed to advocating and providing equitable access to healthcare for all. Being a practitioner at AvitaCare Atlanta, he is able to concentrate on these efforts with the full support of the leadership and staff. He recently completed his Doctor of Nursing Practice concentrating on the access of gender affirming hormone therapy for transgender adults and the improvements this access has on the overall quality of life of transgender individuals.

Achievement in Research

Juno Obedin-Maliver, MD, MPH, MAS (she/her)

Dr. Juno Obedin-Maliver (she/her/hers) is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Epidemiology and Population Health at Stanford University School of Medicine who provides clinical care and strives to advance scientific health knowledge, equity, and justice through her research and teaching. She focuses on promoting health equity and well-being for sexual and gender minority (SGM)/ lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual/aromantic (LGBTQIA+) people, with a special emphasis on sexual and reproductive health. Dr. Obedin-Maliver, is the Co-Director of The PRIDE Study (pridestudy.org), a longitudinal cohort of SGM individuals, and Co-PI of PRIDEnet (pridenet.org) a community-engagement network aimed at catalyzing LGBTQIA+ health research.

Early Career Achievement Award

Tess Jewell, BA (she/her)

Tess Jewell is a fifth-year MD-MPH student at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, graduating in the spring of 2025. She plans to pursue residency in pediatrics and fellowship training in pediatric endocrinology. She is a 2024 GLMA Health Professional in Training (HPiT) Fellow, and this is also her second year on the GLMA HPiT Curriculum Reform Committee. She is passionate about advancing LGBTQ+-inclusive education across disciplines, as well as providing trainees with the tools needed to advocate for their education and communities. As a physician, researcher, educator and advocate, she aims to promote affirming and inclusive health care for all, and especially for LGBTQ+ youth.