Who are we?
We’re a coalition of volunteers dedicated to improving LGBTQIA2S+ health in the Lansing community. Want to learn more about the group, volunteering, or attending one of our meetings? Reach out!
Active Members
Vanessa Burnett (she/they)
Vanessa lives in Lansing and recently completed her Master of Public Health degree at MSU. She works as a community health associate at the Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI) working primarily on the Michigan Child Death Review Program, Sudden Unexpected Infant Death case registry, and facilitating health equity trainings. Vanessa’s focus is health equity and social justice. Her primary interests with Queering Medicine are community outreach and queer-friendly healthcare spaces. In her free time, Vanessa enjoys traveling, reading, seeking out delicious food, dancing, and spending time with her significant other, family and friends!
Grey L. Pierce (they/them)
Grey lived in the Lansing area for nearly twenty years before relocating to Oregon in late 2022. They served as the Chair of the Power of We Consortium, facilitated Lansing's Nonbinary Support Group at the Salus Center, helped run Voting with Disabilities in Michigan, and were an active participant in many other community groups, including the Capital Area Sexual Assault Response Team, Ingham County Health Department's Racial Equity Data Initiative, and TRHT (Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation) of Metro Lansing. Grey continues to help lead QM's projects focused on public health crises, and previously led QM's vaccine hesitancy and healthcare intake form projects. They are passionate about issues related to LGBTQ+ identities, disabilities, racial equity, and sexual assault survivors, and the intersections between them.
Ross Rogers (he/him)
Ross is an undergraduate student at MSU studying Social Relations and Policy with minors in Health Promotion and LGBTQ Studies, and intends to pursue postgraduate education in public health. Originally from Plymouth, he joined Queering Medicine in order to help make a positive impact on the health of Lansing's queer community and to gain experience working with a grassroots organization. In his free time he enjoys learning languages and coding, petting his cat Smoke, and reading about a variety of subjects.
Nik Finch (they/them)
Nik is a clinical social worker specializing in trauma therapy and rooted in the ideals of self-determination, community justice, dignity, and liberation. As a Lansing townie, they care deeply about co-creating an environment where can all thrive in our shared city. Nik's current priority with Queering Medicine is resurrecting, updating, and maintaining the Provider Directory so we can access the health care we deserve. When not in meetings, you can probably find them outside or working on a new hobby.
Frank Heveran (he/him)
Frank works as the Program Director at the Salus Center, where he works to build community and provide fulfilling programming and resources for the Lansing queer community. At Queering Medicine, his goals are to get the Provider Directory up and running again and to grow the group into a more sustainable organization longterm. He loves making pottery, spending time with friends and his cat, and learning new things.
Heidi Schaetzl (they/them)
Heidi is a surgical technologist working in labor and delivery ORs in Lansing, where they make sure all parents and newborns are safe during any necessary operations. During school, they informed their fellow surgical technologists about procedures related to transgender healthcare through an honors project as it was not covered by the curriculum. Heidi helps run the social media account at Queering Medicine and works on the provider directory. In their free time, Heidi loves their cat, making needlepoint pieces for their bathroom, and trying new recipes in the kitchen.
Chandler Storrs (they/them)
Chandler is an elementary educator in Mid-Michigan. They come into this work having navigated conventional Western medicine and alternative medicine with several chronic illnesses and engaging gender-affirming care. Upon hearing Chandler's medical story, their current, phenomenal doctor said, "It shouldn't have been this hard." Chandler works on the provider directory to hopefully make things a little less difficult for queer & trans folks navigating the medical system.