Stephen C. Cook, MD, FACC, has worked diligently over the past 30 years to make cardiovascular care more accessible and welcoming to members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as for other groups that have historically faced discrimination and suffered poorer health outcomes. For his role in advancing health equity both at the ACC and beyond, Cook has been named the 2026 recipient of the Pamela S. Douglas Award for Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion.

“This award represents the values I care about deeply, and that includes equity, inclusion and, especially, belonging,” says Cook, a cardiologist at Indiana Heart Physicians in Indianapolis, IN. “This is reflected in the actions I take every day, whether it is at home or at work. It means a lot not only because of the recognition but also because the work we are doing within the College is making a positive difference.”

Cook is a current member of ACC’s Workforce Culture and Engagement Committee and past chair of ACC’s LGBTQ+ Workgroup, established in 2022. Since its start, the Workgroup has grown from five to more than 100 members, fulfilling ACC’s goals to promote inclusion, build community and expand mentorship programs.

From the beginning of his own medical training, Cook saw the obstacles LGBTQ+ trainees encountered, including a lack of LGBTQ+ health care curricula, discriminatory social interactions and a lack of visible mentorship opportunities.

This leads to a disproportionate amount of perceived mistreatment and burnout among LGBTQ+ trainees,” says Cook. “We have collaborated with the ACC to create a medical workforce that is inclusive of LGBTQ+ physicians and is responsive to meet the needs of our community.”

Despite College-wide efforts to advance diversity, inclusion and equity in health care, the Human Rights Campaign’s Annual Community Survey reports a growing number of LGBTQ+ individuals feeling more vulnerable in the past year.

“Nearly 48% of LGBTQ+ adults report concealing their sexual orientation [e.g., going ‘back in the closet’] over the last 12 months, which to me represents an urgent need on how the medical community should examine their practices to create an environment that is safe and inclusive of sexual and gender minority groups,” Cook says.

To combat this trend, he encourages cardiovascular care professionals to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community, emphasizing that transgender and gender-diverse patients have a greater risk for cardiovascular disease compared to their heterosexual or cisgender peers. Cultivating an inclusive space can be as simple as displaying a rainbow sticker at a check-in area.

“These patients have a higher likelihood of experiencing discrimination, stigma and even health care barriers that they perceive they may experience in the medical setting so they often just avoid care, which may exacerbate their likelihood for developing cardiovascular disease,” he says.

Cook also wants to see more cardiovascular research trials including data on sexual orientation and gender identity, stating that improved efforts by cardiovascular clinicians both in research-focused and clinical settings can have real-world impacts.

“Being a professional ally is probably the first step in providing quality, equitable care,” he says. “I think we need to see more of that today more than ever. Allies who consistently use inclusive language and promote visibility really help build patient trust.”

Moving forward, he maintains that “creating a welcoming and affirming cardiovascular clinic is critical,” especially in today’s current climate. “Ultimately, this will lead to improved patient experiences and outcomes as well as a rewarding practice environment for clinicians,” Cook says.

Keywords: Cardiology Magazine, ACC Publications, ACC Annual Scientific Session, ACC26, Health Equity