What is the directory?

The Minnesota Fat Liberation Healthcare Provider directory is a resource for patients. People in larger bodies face extreme, multifaceted barriers to receiving quality healthcare, many of which are perpetuated by providers and health systems [1,2]. The directory aims to increase access to healthcare by helping patients find information about providers and their practices, so they can make informed decisions about where to pursue care.

How was the directory created?

The directory was created by taking suggestions from the community and local healthcare providers in Minnesota who provide more accessible or affirming care to those in larger bodies. Every provider on the directory was sent a list of questions to learn more about their care and their answers have been posted transparently.

How are providers added to the directory?

All providers listed are reviewed by Radical Health Alliance staff or volunteers, based on their responses to our questionnaire. However, we are not in every exam room and not every provider in this directory works in exactly the same way. We encourage everyone to do additional research to find a provider that can best meet your needs, including people not listed here.

Our directory was not created to be an exclusive list—our hope is that providers that deliver more supportive healthcare for fat patients can be listed to create a larger, more accessible directory to the community. As such, being on this list does not ensure that a provider will be a good fit for you, but we hope it can serve as a good start to finding a provider to take care of your individual needs. We are open to any suggestions or feedback as to how we can create a better experience for you!

How is your outreach prioritizing providers of color and fat providers?

Our directory is committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusivity within the healthcare field. With this in mind, we acknowledge that our system is not perfect and continuously strive to make improvements. To prioritize providers of color and fat providers in our outreach efforts, we have implemented the following approach:

1. Provider and clinic outreach: Our outreach efforts focus on collaborating with Minnesotan clinics committed to social justice work to recruit providers with similar intentions of practice. Examples of clinics we have reached out to include Broadway Clinic, Family Tree Clinic, and Odam Clinic. We also receive feedback from local fat community platforms, community organizations, and individuals on their recommendations for providers who should be included in the directory.

2. Feedback and Improvement: We are continually seeking feedback from patients and providers to assess the inclusivity of our directory and outreach efforts. We make iterative improvements based on this feedback to ensure that our platform remains a space where everyone feels comfortable.

How can I support the directory?

If you know providers who you’d like to see listed, direct them to our outreach letter! This directory also requires resources. To financially support this work, please consider donating here.

How can I navigate using this directory?

On the landing page of our directory, you will see that providers are organized by “profession” (at the top of the page) or by “location” (at the bottom of the page). These tabs will provide the exact same information on providers, but simply organize them differently. Once a tab is clicked, we encourage you to scroll through and read up on different providers’ responses to their questionnaires.

What are some tips and resources to find healthcare providers that will give me supportive care that is not centered around weight?

When visiting a provider in clinic, some good clues that they will provide supportive care include the following:

• asks what language you would like to use about your body

• practices trauma-informed care

• listens intentionally to your concerns, the challenges you face, and your lived experiences

• understands and respects different perspectives

• actively works to understand identities they don’t personally hold

• avoids pushing intentional weight loss on patients or care that is BMI-centric

• focuses on why you have come to their office and understands that size and shape do not necessarily impact why you have come in

• practices care that is intentionally holistic

• works in a practice that has equipment (i.e seating, MRI machines, tables) that is readily available and inclusive of people of different sizes, ages, and abilities.

• understands and acknowledges their limitations as a health professional in their specific area

• their practice has supportive care members and a competent billing team

We are working towards a world in which you do not have to pick and choose between these bullet points. We hope our directory gives you a sense of where providers are in each so you can prioritize what is most important to you to meet your immediate needs.

Why are some providers’ answers not in line with fat liberation values?

People using this directory have different priorities based on their needs, such as finding a provider who can perform a specific procedure or works in a specific specialty. Unfortunately, the number of providers whose values completely align with fat liberation values is small which creates difficulties in creating a large and comprehensive list of providers. As such, every provider on the directory was sent a list of questions to learn more about their care and their answers have been posted transparently so you can make the best decision for yourself. We are committed to fat liberation, and we would also like to create the most accessible directory possible for the community.

How do I report concerns with a provider through the directory?

The best way to report a concern with a provider is often directly through their health system. Please see the FAQ below for resources on how to do this! Due to Radical Health Alliance’s capacity, the scope of this directory does not currently extend into delivering your feedback back to providers, nor into serving as a database for patient feedback.

However, if your experience with a provider on the directory made you feel that they have misrepresented themself and their listing on our site should be edited or removed, we would like to hear about it through our “report a concern with a provider” form. The board of Radical Health Alliance will review concerns on a case-by-case basis, and will involve community members in the review of any concerns in which the board does not have relevant expertise.

We are only able to accept concerns about providers who are currently listed on the directory. Thank you for helping us uphold our values and create a welcoming space for all!

How can I report a provider through other channels?

If you have experienced harm with a provider who has been engaging in inappropriate practices, there are several ways to report your concerns.

• Each profession has its own way of handling complaints, and there are many resources that provide information about reporting providers in specific fields. For example, the Minnesota Department of Health offers information about reporting various providers here and here.

• If you are comfortable, reporting your concerns to the provider may be helpful as they likely want to hear about your experiences to ensure it does not happen again. Many clinics and organizations have post-visit surveys or “contact us” forms and phone numbers, and through these channels, your report gets to the people that can deliver feedback to your provider. However, you are not obligated to place yourself in a position to be harmed again if this does not feel right to you!

• Talking with the healthcare facility’s patient advocacy department about your concerns; they can be a helpful resource as a bridge between your healthcare team and yourself.

• If you wish to seek community support and validation, online community groups can be a great way to share your experiences and receive support. Online platforms such as Healthgrades or RateMDs can be helpful in sharing your experiences as well.

If you have accessibility requests…

We understand the importance of accessibility and are committed to ensuring that our website is inclusive and accessible to all users. If you have any accessibility requests or concerns, we encourage you to reach out to us by filling out our contact form. Your feedback is valuable to us, and we appreciate your efforts in helping us improve the accessibility of our website for everyone.

What kind of providers are listed?

This directory hosts all medical providers, including but not limited to dietitians, therapists, physicians, acupuncturists, massage therapists, doulas, and nurse practitioners. We do not currently have the capacity to list movement providers, such as yoga teachers or personal trainers. If you have a question about if the directory is a good fit for you, please use our contact form.

You are eligible to be on the listing if you are practicing in Minnesota and/or provide telehealth services to people in Minnesota.

What if I change my mind about being in the directory?

If you are a provider listed on our website and would like to be removed from our directory, please reach out by using the contact form on our website. Kindly provide your name, the name of your practice, and any other relevant details to help us locate your profile promptly. We will promptly process your request and ensure that your information is removed from our directory.

How can I update my listing on the directory?

If any information on your profile needs to be updated, please fill out this “update my listing” form.

At least once a year, Radical Health Alliance contacts providers to review their listing and update their information. Regardless of whether a profile is updated, a provider’s page will not be removed from the directory unless it is known that they are no longer practicing. A last updated date will be present on each provider’s page of the directory. If you notice a provider’s information may not be up to date, please report this here.