National LGBT Health Education Center Launches TransTalk Online Video Series

Medical professionals can earn up to five free continuing education credits by participating in an educational series. The National LGBT Health Education Center, a program of The Fenway Institute, will offer a new online training series in transgender health for healthcare providers.

The six-video series is titled "Optimizing Transgender Health: A Core Course for Health Care Providers," and features presentations given at the first annual Advancing Excellence in Transgender Health Conference held at Fenway Health last October by nationally-recognized experts in transgender healthcare. Medical professionals who participate in the online educational series will be eligible for free continuing education credits.

By addressing topics ranging from surgery overviews and hormone treatments to primary and preventative care, "Optimizing Transgender Health: A Core Course for Health Care Providers," provides foundational knowledge and training in key aspects of transgender health care.

"Too often, providers lack the knowledge and training needed to give transgender patients the sensitive and comprehensive care they deserve," said Harvey Makadon, M.D., Director of Education and Training Programs at The Fenway Institute. "This educational video series will fill some of the gaps of this knowledge deficit in our health care system by making it easy for health care providers across the nation to access information that will help them provide optimum care for their transgender patients."�

The series will be available for on-demand viewing for free on the TransTalks page of Education Center's website over the next three weeks. The series will launch with two videos on February 16 with two new videos released over the following two weeks.�

"We have long known that many transgender people experience uncomfortable interactions in healthcare settings that range from outright acts of discrimination to incompetent care rooted in a basic lack of knowledge by providers of the healthcare needs of transgender people," Makadon added. "It's not the job of transgender patients to educate providers, the burden is on providers to educate themselves and this video series is one way to do that."�

The National LGBT Health Education Center is a program of The Fenway Institute at Fenway Health. Since 1971, Fenway Health has been working to make life healthier for the people in our neighborhood, the LGBT community, people living with HIV/AIDS and the broader population.� The Fenway Institute is an interdisciplinary center for research, training, education and policy development focusing on national and international health issues.

For more information, visit www.fenwayhealth.org or http://www.lgbthealtheducation.org/transtalks/