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Happy Pride Month from the Vanderbilt Program for LGBTQ Health!Pride Month is a time for us to celebrate our LGBTQ community and the creativity, resilience, love and compassion that makes us strong.
One of the greatest strengths of the LGBTQ community is how we care for each other. That care has come in many forms in the last year: Masks sewn from scrap fabric. Hands chapped from washing. Phone calls and texts that helped ease anxiety. Marching feet and a chorus of voices speaking out against racism and inequality. Information and resources dutifully compiled into lists and shared online. Vaccinations received so we can see each other safely again.
The highest example of demonstrating pride is caring for one another. In doing so, we honor ourselves, honor those who are reflective of us, and honor our community at large. Our team here at Vanderbilt cares deeply for the LGBTQ community and takes pride in doing so. We are committed to providing education, engaging in research, and connecting our patients to excellent healthcare.
As the world continues to change, through all of it, we will continue to care for each other.
Happy Pride, everyone!
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Get Ready for the 2021 Southern LGBTQ Health Symposium!Save the Date for the Southern LGBTQ Health Symposium! This year, we will be hosting a series of virtual lectures. We will share more information about how to register as we draw closer to the symposium, but for now, here is our line up!
August 12th 2021
Foundations of LGBTQI Health Service Delivery
by Shawn Reilly, M.Ed.
August 19th 2021
COVID impacts on LGBTQI community
by Dr. Gilbert Gonzales and Dr. Taryn McKay
August 26th 2021
Legislative Impacts on LGBTQI Health Service Delivery
by Dr. Cassandra Brady, Dr. Mary Romano & Dr. Melissa Cyperski
September 2nd 2021
Surgical Care for Transgender Patients
by Dr. Julian Winocur and Dr. Salam Al Kassis
September 16th 2021
Keynote Address on Centering Anti-Racism in Healthcare
by Dr. Oni Blackstock
For more information on the Southern Health Symposium, you can email Shawn Reilly, M. Ed. at shawn.e.reilly@vanderbilt.edu.
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Call for Community Advisory Board MembersThe Vanderbilt Program for LGBTQ Health is searching for individuals to serve on our community advisory board (CAB) for a three-year term. Community advisory board members provide valuable input on the services we offer and help shape the future of our program. Members are expected to attend at least 3 of the quarterly CAB meetings per year, and may be asked to participate in panels, promote studies at VUMC, and offer feedback on new programs or research.
We are intentionally seeking diverse perspectives to bring to our board. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are strongly encouraged to apply.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Pepper J. Heifner at pepper.j.heifner@vumc.org.
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How the AMA is Protecting Transgender PatientsIn a recent COVID-19 update for the American Medical Association (AMA), Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, immediate past chair of the AMA Board of Trustees and founding director of the Vanderbilt Program for LGBTQ Health, spoke about the challenges transgender individuals have faced during the pandemic and how physicians can help.
Even before the pandemic, transgender indivduals faced barriers in accessing affirming healthcare. COVID-19 has only highlighted the inequality that influences these barriers. Dr. Erehnfeld offered ways that the AMA can support transgender patients through these challenges.
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Congratulations Reverend Dawn Bennett This past Friday, the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce presented Reverend Dawn Bennett with their Community Service Award. Rev. Bennett, a graduate of Vanderbilt University Divinity School, serves as the Pastor Developer for the LGBTQ-affirming faith collective, The Table. She was recently featured as part of NBC's Pride30 for her history-making ordination as Nashville's first queer female Lutheran pastor and for the work she has been doing to create sanctuary and community for queer Tennesseans. You can read NBC's article about her at this link.
Rev. Bennett has been a member of the Vanderbilt Program for LGBTQ Health's Community Advisory Board since 2020. Before that, she was also a Trans Buddy volunteer, and provided support to many of our transgender patients when they visited Vanderbilt. We are proud to have Dawn on our board and happy to see her work in our community being acknowledged and celebrated!
photo credit: Nathan Morgan Photography
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LGBT MD Hosting Pride Month Lecture SeriesIn celebration of Pride Month, LGBT MD is hosting a series of talks and discussions about LGBTQ health and related issues that will be taking place in June.
Friday, June 11th at 12:00 PM @ Zoom: Caring for Sex and Gender Minority Patients and Families with Dr. Mary Romano (she/her/hers), Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. RSPV Here
Monday, June 14th at 12:00 PM @ Zoom: LGBTQI Policy Advocacy and Grassroots Organizing with Shawn Reilly (they/them/theirs), Trans Buddy Coordinator at VUMC and Student Engagement & Leadership Chair of GLSEN Tennessee. RSVP Here
If you have any questions, please contact camille.wang@vanderbilt.edu or kevin.s.guo@vanderbilt.edu.
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Health Insurance Information for Transgender Patients
Join to hear from trans advocates and providers on the health insurance enrollment process for the trans community, new financial assistance (under the American Rescue Plan) and how to navigate coverage and care. Their goal is to empower trans people to find and enroll in the health insurance they need, provide resources to reduce barriers in accessing high quality health care, and raise awareness of the current special enrollment period.
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Panel of Intergenerational LGBTQ Voices
Join FiftyForward on Thursday, June 17, at 10 a.m. for "LGBTQ+ Voices of Nashville: An Intergenerational Panel Offering Wisdom and Hope." Through this online panel discussion, FiftyForward seeks to elevate the voices, stories, and perspectives of LGBTQ+ individuals in our Middle Tennessee community to foster belonging and inclusion. Learn more and access the event panel link at FiftyForward.org/CommunityDiscussions
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Introducing Our LGBTQ Health Summer Interns!Pride month got off to a great start this year as we welcomed our 2021 summer interns, Jacob Zimmerman and Julia Grey! Jacob and Julia both applied for our 2020 internship program, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were unable to join us last year. We are so thankful for the work that has been done to mitigate risk (and for vaccines!) that has allowed them to safely join our internship program this year!
Here is some more information about our interns and their projects.
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Julia GreyJulia Grey (she/her/hers) is a current junior at Mount Holyoke College majoring in biology with a minor in gender studies pre-med. She is from Atlanta, Georgia. She wants to become a plastic surgeon that performs gender affirmation surgeries. She is passionate about empowering all trans people to self-actualize and embrace their holistic selves. Her interests outside of school, research, and helping others include playing Super Smash Bros. Melee, playing basketball, watching anime, and enjoying the outdoors. With everything Julia does, she tries to incorporate helping others. Recently, Julia helped raise $21,000 for Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) by hosting a charity event through Super Smash Bros. Melee! Julia’s eventual goal in life is to simply be happy, feel fulfilled through some form of mutual aid, have a wife who loves her, and rescue many cats. Julia currently has a one-eyed cat whose name is Polyphemus.
Julia found her way to being an LGBTQ Health Intern through her past work as an LGBTQIA+ advocate and interest in LGBTQ Medicine. She will be helping Drs. Jasmine Walker and Mathew Facciani with their needs assessment project for LGBTQ health education, as well as helping the LGBTQ Health office further its program.
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Jacob ZimmermanJacob Zimmerman (any pronouns) recently graduated from the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY, with a Bachelor of Science in Human Health Sciences, also majoring in Gender and Women’s Studies. He plans to attend The Ohio State University College of Medicine starting Fall Term of 2021. Jacob grew up in Akron, Ohio, and is a big fan of the Theatre district. Jacob hopes to pursue queer-affirming healthcare, possibly also working in reproductive justice healthcare, and wants to complete an MD/MPH dual degree program. He is involved in the Hillel organization for Jewish students, American Medical Student Association, the Interprofessional Healthcare Residential College at University of Kentucky, and research in Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) simulation training at Summa Health Systems Akron Campus. He loves to tend to his succulents and other tropical indoor plants, as well as collect enamel pins for his denim jacket and work on paintings with queer motifs. Upon graduation, he received the Human Health Sciences Academic Award, and the Gender and Women’s Studies department award known as the Joan Callahan Award for Scholastic Achievement. Both awards recognize the recipient for outstanding achievement in the respective undergraduate major, and signify the recipient has the respect and endorsement of the faculty under which they have studied.
Jacob first took up LGBTQ* advocacy after a chance meeting with Jeff Bixby, a leader in the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) Northeast Ohio Chapter. Jeff introduced Jacob to the beautifully rich history of social justice in the queer community, reminiscing on ACT UP. Jacob focuses his pursuits on the historical burden on the LGBTQ* community to disseminate public health information on its own, and the highlighted need for advocacy for LGBTQ* people in the healthcare sector.
This summer, Jacob will work closely with Renate Meier, WHNP-BC, MSN, to generate original research on the low screening rates and high cervical cancer rates of queer, trans and gender non-conforming patients through analysis of choice of PAP smear collection method.
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