Bywater Health exists because healthcare should never be the place where you feel the need to edit yourself.
About Us
I’m Chuck Williamson (he/they), a nurse practitioner, longtime HIV specialist, and the founder of Bywater Health.
But before any of that, I’m someone who grew up watching queer people care for each other when the system didn’t. My mom was the first nurse in Texas to work for an HIV service provider—AIDS Services of Austin—where she met her wife, a social worker. As a teenager, I watched them show up for the gay community during the height of the AIDS crisis, stepping in when other healthcare professionals stepped away. That experience shaped everything about how I practice medicine and why this clinic exists.
Bywater was created to solve a very specific, very common problem: the discomfort that so many LGBTQIA+ people feel the moment they sit down in an exam room. The awkward pauses. The subtle (or not-so-subtle) ignorance that comes from lack of training in queer care.
We do things differently here. Not just because we’re “LGBTQ-friendly,” but because we’re LGBTQ-competent. There’s a difference, and it matters. We follow evidence-based medicine for our community, and we actively work to elevate it. Our team develops guidelines, contributes to the field, and sets a higher standard for what queer healthcare should actually look like.
When people walk into Bywater, I want them to feel joy. I want it to feel like walking into a gay bar for the first time, the music hits just right, you catch someone checking you out, and suddenly you realize: oh, I belong here. You’re seen. You’re wanted. You’re safe to be exactly who you are.
Trust matters in healthcare, especially for queer patients. People trust us because we don’t pretend. We don’t wear white coats. We don’t talk down to you. We meet you where you are, and share our own experiences and observations—along with the hard-earned wisdom that comes from decades of watching our community endure both extraordinary progress and deep loss. And when we don’t know something, we say that too.
No two patients are the same, and we take that seriously. Care here is tailored, both medically and financially.
We’re mindful of cost and minimize unnecessary barriers whenever we can. In practice, that means we don’t play games to keep you coming back just to generate revenue. The goal is care that actually works for your life.
The personality of Bywater is deeply rooted in queer history and culture. Think: Martha Stewart after prison, smoking weed with Snoop, plus Dolly Parton energy. We’re meticulous, curated, and perfectionist about the details; but we do it with rhinestones, laughter, and love. This clinic is shaped by Pride parades and drag queens, leather daddies and bathhouses, tea dances and cruising culture. It’s also shaped by the reality that queer people have always had to be exceptional just to survive.
Practically speaking, Bywater Health is a primary care clinic serving patients 18 and over in Portland, Oregon, with both in-person and telehealth appointments. We offer same-day appointments, draw labs in-house, and dispense many common prescriptions onsite.
Our team is exceptional at what they do. Full stop. We’ve trained at top institutions, have years of real-world clinical experience, and stay deeply engaged with the latest research and best practices in queer healthcare. Just as important, we know how to listen. We know when to lead and when to meet you exactly where you are.
You can read more about each of us below, but know this: everyone at Bywater is here because they are excellent clinicians and because they care deeply about this community.
Meet the Team
Chuck Williamson, MSN, FNP-C (He/They)
Chuck completed undergraduate studies at University of Alaska Anchorage in 1998 then completed the graduate Adult Nurse Practitioner program at University of California San Francisco in 2008. Chuck has trained and worked at multiple premiere academic medical centers, including Stanford and UCSF, and has experience in primary care, HIV medicine, gender affirming medicine, oncology, addiction medicine and palliative care. He is a member of GLMA (Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality), WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) and the AANP (American Association of Nurse Practitioners). With over 25 years of experience, Chuck is passionate about offering you a better patient experience, while providing you with excellent care to achieve your health goals.
James (Chris) Perdue, Nurse Practitioner
Chris is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over 10 years of experience in Emergency Medicine. Growing up in a military family and living in multiple states fostered adaptability, empathy, and a deep respect for diversity. Chris earned an Associate of Science in Nursing from Calhoun Community College in 2015, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of North Alabama in 2020, and a Master of Science in Nursing—Family Nurse Practitioner—from the University of North Alabama in 2023. As a queer healthcare provider, Chris is passionate about delivering inclusive, affirming, and evidence-based care that meets the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ community.
Jerica
Office Manager
Jerica Leigh grew up with 2 moms, and lots of gay and trans family members. She has a background in social services administration and moved to Portland from Austin last year to live in a state where human rights matter.
TJ
Medical Assistant
TJ Moraniec grew up in West Texas and played sportsball for Texas Tech. Looking for adventure, he left Texas for Alaska and worked as a medical assistant in a rural clinic accessible only by boat or air. He moved to Oregon a few years ago and works part time here and at another LGBT clinic very close to ours.