Inclusive, affirming care is goal for Allina Health Uptown Clinic doctor

[Allina Health Newsroom, June 21, 2024] Dominic Decker, MD grew up in St. Paul and has worked at Allina Health for five years. He is the lead physician at the Allina Health Uptown Clinic which has a storied history supporting the LGBTQ+ community. 

“The Allina Health Uptown Clinic, formerly called The Doctors, has been providing this type of care since the mid-1980s when it was founded by gay physicians in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis,” said Dr. Decker. “Allina's support of our clinic has allowed us to continue serving this community and be a preferred location for LGBTQ+ individuals to receive care.”

Dr. Decker and his brother both attended medical school at the University of Minnesota. Their physician grandfather inspired them to pursue careers in health care. 

During medical school, Dr. Decker had clinical rotations at the Uptown Clinic and was amazed by the clinic staff’s commitment to their patients. He was pursuing fellowship positions out of state when he learned of an opening at the Uptown Clinic. He withdrew his fellowship applications and returned home. 

His goal is to provide inclusive, affirming primary care.

“The ethos of my practice is to meet patients where they are and to make them feel comfortable enough to be fully honest about their life and their health. As a gay man, I am uniquely positioned to understand this community because I am part of it,” said Dr. Decker who lives in Minneapolis with his husband John.  

On a personal level, Dr. Decker says Pride Month is, “a powerful antidote to the shame historically felt by LGBTQ+ individuals. It allows us to celebrate that which makes us unique and increases our visibility in the community.”

While Pride is a time to celebrate, Dr. Decker is also taking time to recognize the difficult history and passionate trailblazers that have made this month possible.  

“This month in addition to attending Pride events around the Twin Cities, I am reading How to Survive a Plague, a book written by David France in 2016 about the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York, San Francisco and elsewhere. LGBTQ+ acceptance has accelerated in recent years, but it's of critical importance to look back and reflect on the struggles and achievements of our forebears.”