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Chicago, IL — Howard Brown Health Center and the Lesbian Community Cancer Project announced that they will merge. LCCP will become the Lesbian Community Care Project of Howard Brown Health Center. Above, left to right, Howard Brown CEO Michael Cook, LCCP Interim ED Cat Jefcoat, Howard Brown Board Chair Jon Hinard, LCCP Board Chair Dominique Leonardi.

Founded in 1990, LCCP's vision is that lesbian, bisexual, and queer women and transgender individuals have appropriate and accessible healthcare in a supportive and bias-free environment. They accomplish this through cancer support, healthcare advocacy, stop smoking groups and health education.

Howard Brown, founded in 1974, is one of the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) organizations. With an annual budget of over $15 million, the agency serves more than 20,000 adults and youth each year in its diverse health and social service delivery system focused around seven major programmatic divisions: primary medical care, behavioral health, research, HIV/STD prevention, youth services, elder services, and community initiatives. Howard Brown is a multi-site operation based in Chicago and includes a main health and research center in the Uptown neighborhood, Triad Health practice at Illinois Masonic Hospital, the Broadway Youth Center, and four Brown Elephant Resale shops.

The merger of these two organizations means that more lesbian, bisexual and queer women and transgender individuals in the community will have greater access to healthcare and social services. LCCP's current Interim Executive Director, Catherine Jefcoat, will join Howard Brown's senior management team as Director of the Lesbian Community Care Project. Current LCCP Board Chair Dominique Leonardi has already joined the Howard Brown Board, and remaining LCCP Board members will form an advisory committee on issues surrounding the LBQ community.

"This is the next logical step for our organizations and the community," said Cook. "We've been living together under the same roof for almost four years. It's time to get married! This merger will allow us to better serve the women of our community. We are thrilled to officially welcome LCCP to the Howard Brown family."

"LCCP and Howard Brown will serve the LBQ and transgender community better together than we do separately. In a world where funding is competitive and tenuous, the combining of our expertise and strategic resources will allow us to build a world-class program for all," Leonardi said.

For more information about Howard Brown visit www.howardbrown.org. For more information on LCCP visit www.lccp.org.