Ash Noelck (they/them)

Policy and Education Specialist

Ash (they/them) is a non-binary/agender and pansexual member of our team working as a Policy and Education Specialist. In this role, they work to create best practice guidelines and training modules for healthcare professionals to improve care for trans and gender-diverse patients in Alberta. To this work, Ash brings their own lived experience:

“As a trans/gender diverse person, I am personally connected to this work. Unfortunately, both myself and many of my family members and friends have had  negative experiences with healthcare professionals. These personal experiences and connections have helped me see the variety of barriers and forms of discrimination, from overt transphobia to misinformation to microaggressions, that exist in our health system. My experiences have shown me how these interactions can negatively impact individuals' health and well-being. In my work, I draw upon my education, my own experiences, and the experiences of other 2SLGBTQIA+ people.”

Ash is passionate about gender-affirming care. Additionally, they are also interested in addressing more basic issues that exist in the healthcare system:

“I want to try and change the misinformation and base assumptions that lead to microaggressions and friction in healthcare provision. I think it can be challenging to change people's minds, especially those who are in positions of power and authority, such as doctors. I want to help healthcare professionals gain more understanding and awareness of the impacts they have. For example, I want to help professionals understand that misgendering a pharmacy client can lead to a patient avoiding picking up and taking medications. Even if a pharmacist has different views about gender identity, I would like them to know that their mandate to ‘do no harm’ means they need to interact in a respectful manner with people who have different views than themselves.”

Prior to joining the QTHC, Ash worked in Japan as an English teacher. As a member of the Japanese Foreign English Teachers’ Association, they introduced and supported a number of queer initiatives. In their spare time, Ash loves watching educational videos about world history, and reading books about various religions, and keeping up with geopolitics. They also love the outdoors and go camping whenever they have the opportunity.

Ash can be reached by emailing ash.noelck@ourhealthyeg.ca.