Cardiology Fellow is Redefining Inclusive Patient Care

“I want to be a face for my community. However people identify, I just want to be a source of comfort for people who need lifesaving cardiovascular care.”  

Medicine has always been personal for Dr. Kadijah Porter, a cardiology fellow practicing in Colorado. Her path was sparked early on by her father's experience with heart failure, and deepened by his death just as she was starting medical school. That loss, and the healthcare disparities surrounding it, became a powerful force behind her career. 

“My dad didn’t seek care early on,” she says. “He waited because none of the doctors at the hospital looked like him, and he didn’t trust them. So he waited until he couldn’t wait anymore.”

That experience set Dr. Porter on a mission to build a different kind of future where patients of every background feel seen, heard, and safe. Today, she’s working to make cardiology care more equitable and inclusive, especially for LGBTQ+ patients and patients of color. Her approach is deeply human, shaped by both lived experience and a commitment to transform care from within.

The power of presence

Representation matters in medicine — not only in who receives care, but in who delivers it.

As a Black woman in the LGBTQ+ community, Dr. Porter understands the comfort and trust that come when patients see themselves reflected in their provider.

“I want to be a face for my community,” she says. “However people identify, I just want to be a source of comfort for people who need lifesaving cardiovascular care.”

Whether she’s explaining a diagnosis in plain language or giving someone space to ask questions they’ve been afraid to voice, Dr. Porter meets patients where they are and helps them move forward with dignity and clarity.

Respect is a clinical skill

Bias in medicine can be subtle, but its effects are anything but. Sometimes, it shows up as questions left unasked or assumptions made without listening. Sometimes, it’s the absence of basic consent during routine exams. 

“We just walk in a room and start putting our stethoscope on people,” she says. “It’s not, ‘Can I listen to your heart?’ We just start moving pillows and covers around.”

Even as a physician, Dr. Porter isn’t immune to bias. “It’s not uncommon to walk in and be the only Black person in the room,” she says, "or for patients to ask my white male resident or a medical student what their thoughts are after I’ve told them the plan for the day.”

From the language she uses to the time she spends training medical students, Dr. Porter is working to shape a model of care rooted in empathy, consent, and respect. 

“I always introduce myself like, ‘Hi, my name is Dr. Porter. My pronouns are she/her/hers. How may I address you?’” That small gesture can be the first step toward rebuilding trust with patients who’ve felt alienated or harmed in healthcare settings.

The LGBTQ+ blind spot in cardiology research

Dr. Porter recently spoke on a panel at the American College of Cardiology conference focused on LGBTQ+ health. Her message: the way we capture and report patient data has to change.

Many electronic health records still conflate sex and gender or don’t consistently collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity.

As a result, LGBTQ+ patients are often invisible in cardiovascular research, despite facing unique risk factors linked to chronic stress, limited access to care, and the effects of gender-affirming treatments.

“Because that distinction hasn’t been made in the way we capture data,” says Dr. Porter, “it's almost impossible to figure out what the specific risk factors are for the LGBTQ+ population.”

This data gap doesn’t just affect academic studies — it limits the ability to customize care and perpetuates a system where patients don’t feel seen, heard, or understood. Without the right information, clinicians can’t deliver the personalized care all patients deserve.

Inclusion drives better outcomes

In cardiology, understanding the full picture of a patient’s health can make all the difference. For LGBTQ+ individuals, important context — like hormone therapy, previous experiences with healthcare, or delays in seeking care — can shape everything from symptom presentation to long-term risk.

When this information isn’t part of the conversation, care can fall short. Dr. Porter often sees how assumptions or incomplete details can lead to decisions that don’t quite fit the patient’s reality. Subtle variations in lab values, physical changes related to gender-affirming treatments, or missed opportunities for early intervention can all be influenced by whether a patient feels safe sharing who they are.

Inclusive care helps close that gap. It allows providers to offer more thoughtful, accurate guidance — rooted not just in medical expertise, but in a genuine understanding of the person in front of them. When patients feel seen and respected, they’re more likely to engage in their care, return for follow-ups, and trust the process.

For Dr. Porter, that’s what truly drives better outcomes: making sure every patient feels understood, supported, and empowered throughout their journey.

"I want to make this everybody’s problem,” she says. “The more we miss opportunities to prevent disease, the more everybody pays for it in the long run — not just the patient."  

A call for collective accountability

Dr. Porter knows there’s still a long way to go. LGBTQ+ health topics remain largely absent from medical education, and many providers are still unsure how to navigate patient conversations. But she’s hopeful, and focused on action.

Asked what she hopes to see change in the future of LGBTQ+ healthcare, Dr. Porter is clear.

“I want to make this everybody’s problem,” she says. “The more we miss opportunities to prevent disease, the more everybody pays for it in the long run — not just the patient.”

For Dr. Porter, inclusive care isn’t a specialty or a side conversation. It’s a necessary part of delivering better outcomes for all. Her vision is one where respect, representation, and clinical precision work hand in hand — where every patient, regardless of identity, feels understood and valued from the very first interaction.

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