Community Healthcare Network Hosts 7th Annual Transgender Health Conference in New York at The New School

Community Healthcare Network (CHN) will host its 7th annual Transgender Health Conference, in collaboration with The New School, New York City community health plan Amida Care, and the New York State Department of Health, on October 26 and 27 at The New School.

"The conference focuses the understanding of the journey of a person of trans experience -- from the clinical obstacles they face to how they are affected by behavioral, societal and even legal challenges," said Freddy Molano, Vice President of Infectious Diseases and LGBTQ Programs, Community Healthcare Network. "Although amazing advancements have taken place, there is a need for much more growth in the clinical and societal understanding of people of trans experience, and our conference seeks to address just that."

Bamby Salcedo, the event's keynote speaker, is an award-winning advocate for the Trans Latina community. She is the founder of the Los Angeles-based TransLatina Coalition, and, in 2014, released the documentary "Transvisible: Bamby Salcedo's Story." Her keynote will focus on the TransLatina experience in the United States, and the issues affecting people of trans experience.

The conference covers a range of clinical and social topics including health insurance, medications such as PrEP and PEP, legal issues faced by transgender communities, and preparation for gender-affirming surgery. The conference's second day (Oct. 27, 9 am - 12 noon), organized in partnership with Amida Care, focuses on information for licensed clinicians. Amida Care is New York's largest Medicaid special needs health plan for people living with chronic conditions such as HIV and provider of high-quality comprehensive health care to its significant population of transgender plan members.

"The HIV/AIDS epidemic has a disproportionate impact on the transgender community. People of transgender experience need and deserve access to comprehensive, culturally competent, gender-affirming health care," said Doug Wirth, President and CEO of Amida Care. "We need to break down the barriers that keep health care out of reach for many in the transgender community, including violence, lack of employment opportunities, housing instability, and discrimination. This conference is an important, one-of-a-kind forum for ideas and solutions to address these disparities, and Amida Care is proud to be the lead health care sponsor."

Presenters include representatives from the NYS Department of Health, including the AIDS Institute and Bureau of HIV Prevention and Control; Mt. Sinai Medical Center; Amida Care; and experts in clinical, behavioral and legal care for transgender individuals, among others. A full copy of the program agenda, and background on all speakers is available here.

Transgender people have specific healthcare concerns and oftentimes face bias, discrimination, or ignorance when seeking medical care. CHN understands these concerns, and offers a unique and welcoming environment with high-quality medical care.

The organization, which founded its Transgender Family Health Program in 2004, is leading the field in transgender care. CHN is the first New York City-based Health Center to provide comprehensive services to patients of transgender experience in a family health setting. CHN serves nearly 450 transgender patients annually at their Bronx Health Center in the South Bronx, Family Health Center located in Jamaica, Queens and the CABS Health Center located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Community Healthcare Network 7th Annual Conference on Transgender Health will be held on Thursday, October 26 and Friday October 27 (for licensed clinicians only) from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at The New School, 63 5th Avenue, New York NY 10011.