Adagio Health was thrilled to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community throughout the month of June at Pride celebrations and festivals in the Pennsylvania towns of Pittsburgh, Connellsville, Indiana, and Greensburg. In Erie, PA – Adagio Health had an even bigger presence, proudly serving as the Health and Wellness Zone sponsor at Erie PrideFest 2023.

Our passion for Pride is reflective of our commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community and providing behavioral health, care navigation, nutrition support, and health care services including cancer screening, gynecological care, PrEP, HIV testing, Hepatitis C testing and treatment, vaccines, tobacco cessation, and more in safe, welcoming spaces staffed by informed, culturally competent, compassionate providers. 

Pittsburgh Pride, June 2, 3, 4

Over the course of the 3-day Pittsburgh Pride celebration, Adagio Health staff provided information on medical services, PrEP, women veterans, WIC, and more to anyone who attended the event. Thousands of people and families from all across western PA attended Pittsburgh’s 50th Pride event. We also took the opportunity to extend tobacco cessation support – reminding the community that for too long, Big Tobacco has unfairly targeted the LGBTQ+ community, and now is a great time to take pride in QUITTING!

















Pictured left to right at Pittsburgh Pride at the Adagio Health table in Allegheny Commons Park: Andrea Palashoff, Cancer Screening Patient Navigation Coordinator; Liz Reed, Marketing and Design Specialist; and Sam Beckas, Marketing and Communications Specialist.











Pictured left to right: Chief of External Affairs Alicia Schisler, Tobacco Health Educator Sydney Starr, and Cancer Screening Program Manager Tracy Frank.
















Pictured left to right at the Adagio Health table during Day 3 of Pittsburgh Pride in Bloomfield: Senior Human Resources Director Eileen Wickett and Senior Director of Development Ali Browne.


Tobacco Free Adagio Health billboard towers over Pittsburgh’s Boulevard of the Allies.

Connellsville & Indiana Pride, June 10

Connellsville Pride took place at Yough River Park this year.  Long-time Uniontown Office Manager (45 years!) Lugene Rossini and Tobacco Free Health Educator Alecia Gilbert teamed up to provide outreach, information, and giveaways at the event to over 200 people.












Pictured left to right: Uniontown Office Manager Lugene Rossini, a Pride participant, and Tobacco Health Educator Alecia Gilbert stand in front of the Adagio Health table at Connellsville Pride.

On that same day, Adagio Health Indiana Medical staff joined the first-ever Pride celebration in Indiana, PA! Indiana Office Manager Michele McCracken said, “It was a well-attended event, and we had the opportunity to meet and network with a variety of different organizations.” 













Pictured left to right: Stephanie Kellar, Youth Services Coordinator; Amanda Smith, Veteran Care Navigator; Bri McCurdy, Medical Assistant; Lori Mountan, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant; Shelby Emert, Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner; Sabrina Dixon, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant; and Michele McCracken, Indiana Office Manager.

Greensburg Pride, June 17

PFLAG Greensburg and the Westmoreland LGBTQ Interfaith Network Pride held a Pride celebration at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art this year. The event began with tabling from several organizations and then transitioned into a Pride Prom for attendees in the Museum. Sam Beckas and Liz Reed from the External Affairs team provided outreach for Adagio Health at the Pride celebration, letting attendees know about care, services, and fantastic medical team ready to provide care and nutrition support at Adagio Health’s Greensburg medical office. 














Pictured left to right: Marketing and Communications Specialist Sam Beckas and Marketing and Design Specialist Liz Reed at the Pride Prom in Greensburg.

Erie PrideFest, June 24

With over 6,000+ guests in attendance at the Erie PrideFest, Adagio Health was the sponsor of the Health and Wellness Zone and had a strong presence during the parade.  Additionally, the Erie and Seneca Medical Offices partnered with and facilitated rapid testing for HIV and HCV aboard the Erie Department of Health’s mobile unit.  Nurse Practitioners Sarah Henry-Walker and Andi Fair were on hand to counsel any patients who tested positive, and Andi also marched for Adagio Health in the parade. 

Erie Office Manager Stacy Frantz said, “A woman approached me and said that her cancer was discovered through our programs and a lifesaving mammogram. She told me she was eternally grateful to Adagio Health and staff.”  Stacy also enthusiastically described the  efforts that went into making Erie Pride a big success for Adagio Health, saying, “Ella Teare was a true salesman at the table. She hit the ground running and never stopped!  Aliegha White also did amazing.  The rainbow bags were a huge hit and I had people asking for them for hours after I ran out! I saw Adagio Health in so many places. Anyone who had a sponsorship T-shirt on had Adagio Health on the back of the shirt.  And all of Perry Square was nothing but Adagio Health rainbow bags!”










Erie PrideFest attendees hold up Adagio Health rainbow bags and other outreach items designed to show support for the LGBTQ+ community.














A rainbow trailer travels to Perry Square at Erie PrideFest’s parade.












Adagio Health Erie Nurse Practitioner Andi Fair and Adagio Health Seneca Nurse Practitioner Amy Gehrlein represented Adagio Health by walking in Erie PrideFest’s parade on June 24.

While Pride 2023 was a wonderful celebration of western Pennsylvania’s LGBTQ+ community, we also know that factors such as discrimination, limited access to care, and lack of adequate health education continue to negatively impact health outcomes for this vulnerable population. Adagio Health is committed to improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities for LGBTQ+ communities by providing needed services and referrals; and ensuring that that everyone who seeks care at Adagio Health Medical and WIC offices feels welcome, heard, respected, and safe. 

 For more information: https://www.adagiohealth.org/lgbtqia-resources