Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals face barriers and challenges that make it difficult for them to find and receive competent healthcare or feel that they have had a positive provider experience. In many cases, this will likely cause LGBT patients to experience a heightened degree of distress and symptoms than their non-LGBT counterparts.

Because LGBT people are members of every community and socioeconomic group, their healthcare needs must be fully understood by all health providers to make the cultural changes required to eliminate healthcare disparities and improve health-related outcomes for this patient population.

The purpose of the Health Professions Seminar is to provide an educational forum to discuss vital topics of healthcare delivery that are harmful to the LGBT community and their well-being. It is the intent of the Health Professions Seminars to instill overdue change by increasing the knowledge base of healthcare providers and support staff caring for LGBT patients and to encourage adoption of LGBT culture-friendly practices throughout the healthcare community.

The intended audience for this program is physicians, nurses, social workers and all other healthcare professionals (clinical or non-clinical) who provide health-related services to the LGBT patient population as topics will relate to both healthcare services as well as the patient care experience.

Program Agenda:

8:00am-8:30am: Registration & Continental Breakfast - Catskill Hudson AHEC Staff

8:30am-8:45am: Welcome & Introductions - Robert Wingate Executive Director Catskill Hudson Area Health Education Center

8:45am-9:45am: Exploring Privilege/Creating an LGBT Safe Zone -Lori Ciafardoni, MS ED, RN & Kyan Lynch, MD, MA

9:45am-10:00am Break

10:00am-11:00am Best Practices/Primary Care (Creating an LGBTQ+ Friendly Environment & Establishing a Trusting Relationship with a Thorough Sexual and Medical Health History) - Carolyn Wolf-Gould, MD & Kyan Lynch, MD

11:00am-12:00pm STIs/HIV and LGBT Youth (NYS STI Epidemiology, Clinical Updates on Syphilis, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia, LGV and the Use of PrEP and PEP for HIV Prevention) - Margie Urban, MD

12:00pm-1:00pm Networking Lunch & Breakout Sessions - All Presenters

1:00pm-1:45pm LGBTQ Rights in New York State - Neelu Pathiyil, Esq.

1:45pm-2:45pm Providing Competent Mental Health Care with Trans and Nonbinary Adolescents - Acey Mercer, LCSW

2:45pm-3:00pm Break

3:00pm-3:45 pm: Presenter Panel Q & A - Moderated by Rob Conlon, M.S. Counseling, NYS Unified Court System, Statewide Program Manager, Children’s Centers in the Courts

3:45 - 4:00pm Closing Remarks and Evaluations - Robert Wingate, Executive Director Catskill Hudson Area Health Education Center

Attendance at entire event is required to recieve completion certificate.
• For general questions or to register for this program, please contact Kathy Doyle at kdoyle@chahec.org or call our office at 845-883-7260.
• For cost and registration information, please download the flyer/registration form at www.chahec.org.

Support for this program is provided by: