“Every door should be the right door”: meet the prideHealth navigator helping Nova Scotians access inclusive care

For wellness navigator Gabriel Enxuga, helping people access healthcare is about more than referrals and paperwork.

As a navigator with prideHealth, Gabriel spends their days answering questions, solving problems and helping people find their way through a healthcare system that can often feel overwhelming. Sometimes that means connecting someone to a specific service. Other times it means listening to a person who isn't sure where to start.

A registered social worker, Gabriel joined Nova Scotia Health in 2023 after years of community-based work, including community organizing and supporting youth. They worked as a clinical therapist in the Mental Health and Addictions Program before joining prideHealth as a navigator in December 2024.

“I've always had a special interest in working with queer and trans folks,” says Gabriel. “It's near and dear to my heart. I'm passionate about making sure that everyone has access to inclusive and affirming care.”

Gabriel says people reach out to prideHealth for many reasons. Some are looking for information about gender-affirming care. Some need help navigating insurance coverage or getting referrals. Others have had negative experiences in healthcare and aren't sure where to turn next.

“A lot of my job is about understanding how the system works so I can help people get the care and support they need,” says Gabriel. “For patients, it’s not always clear where to go or who to ask, so sometimes the navigation role is like detective work. If I don’t have the answer right away, I’ll do the research and help people find what they need.”

Along the way, they've seen some of the barriers that 2SLGBTQIA+ people continue to encounter. Access to knowledgeable providers can be a challenge, particularly when it comes to gender-affirming care. Financial barriers can also affect people's ability to access care.

“We know that 2SLGBTQIA+ people experience higher rates of financial insecurity and housing insecurity,” says Gabriel. “This can affect the ability to travel to an appointment and afford medication or even basic needs.”

One of the things Gabriel values most about prideHealth is the ability to offer a low-barrier, welcoming point of contact with the healthcare system. People can reach out by phone or email, and they don't need to provide any personal information to get support.

For some, that first conversation can be a significant step. “We have people contact us who say, ‘I've been thinking about my sexuality for a long time,' or, 'I've been thinking about my gender for a long time, and I haven't talked to anybody,'” says Gabriel.

Sometimes people aren't ready to make an appointment or take action right away.  

“It's about letting people know that things are possible,” says Gabriel. “Knowing that there's a pathway, knowing that there's hope, knowing that they're not alone.”

Listening is a big part of that work. Drawing on their background in social work, Gabriel believes there's real value in making space for people's experiences.

“We don't always slow down to ask, who's this person in front of me? What are they feeling? How can I be present with them? And that matters.”

Beyond access to affirming care, Gabriel believes everyone should feel respected, safe and welcome wherever they receive care.

“I think the biggest thing I'd say is that affirming care is not a specialty. It's just care,” says Gabriel. “I want every place that anyone goes in the healthcare system to be an affirming and inclusive space.”

In an ideal system, people wouldn't have to search for a specific clinic or provider to feel accepted. “Every door should be open. Every door should be the right door,” says Gabriel. That vision is at the heart of prideHealth's work.

As Pride celebrations take place across Nova Scotia this summer, the prideHealth team will be connecting with communities and sharing information about available supports.

“We have to remember where Pride started,” says Gabriel. “It came out of a need for communities to advocate for themselves and care for each other.”

That sense of community remains as important as ever. “We use the word pride a lot, but I think it's important to stay connected to what that means,” says Gabriel. “To have pride in yourself and know that you're important, that you're loved and that you belong.”

For Gabriel, that's the goal every day: helping create a healthcare system where people feel seen, supported and welcome exactly as they are. 

Photo of Gabriel Enxuga.