Date: 08/2009
Source: AETC National Resource Center
The AETC National Resource Center (NRC) is committed to meeting the needs of the AETC network. Each year, the NRC reaches out to all national, regional, and local AETCs through a needs assessment survey. This survey provides an opportunity for AETC faculty, staff, and administrators to identify gaps in knowledge regarding HIV clinical or training topics. The information gained is used by the NRC to determine national AETC workgroups or training events. When reviewing data from the past few years, transgender health remained high on the list of topics of ongoing need. Knowing that many resources on the subject already exist, the NRC disseminated a topic-specific needs assessment survey to assess the level of expertise across the network and to identify training priorities. After analyzing data from this needs assessment survey, the NRC collaborated with a small team to host a national training exchange to address the training objectives identified from the survey. The training exchange took place on Friday, June 5th, 2009 with a total of 224 registered participants, setting a new record for the highest number of training exchange registrants for a NRC sponsored event. JoAnne Keatley, MSW, Minority Programs Manger at the Pacific AETC and Director of the Center of Excellence for Transgender HIV Prevention at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) was an integral part of the planning and content development team. In addition to sharing her expertise, Ms. Keatley recruited other experts to join the panel of presenters including, Walter Bockting, PhD, Licensed Psychologist and Coordinator of the University of Minnesota Transgender Health Services; Jamison Green, MFA, Author, Educator, and member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health Board of Directors; Lori Kohler, MD, Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at UCSF; and Jae Sevelius, PhD, Assistant Professor with the
Center for AIDS Prevention Studies in the Department of Medicine at UCSF. The expert panel defined terms and debunked myths in addition to training on topics such as legal issues and current epidemiology of HIV in transgender communities. Specific interventions related to prevention, mental health care, and general health care were shared for clinicians and staff to improve health outcomes for transgender patients. The take home points from the training were: (1) all transgender people are underserved; (2) hormone treatment is not optional for transgender people and contributes to improved quality of life; and (3) transgender people need a full range of care that addresses social and economic barriers. The post-training exchange evaluation was very positive. Many participants commented on the excellence of the presenters and their materials. There was also an outpouring of thanks to all involved in coordinating this event. Comments included "Great job by all the presenters, this really increased my knowledge and awareness of
transgender health and the transgender community" and "this presentation will serve as great resource in the future". Participants and presenters acknowledged that transgender health issues are complex. However, through education, the quality of care offered to this population can be improved. The level of interest in this training event spoke volumes about the need for information and resources regarding the care of transgender patients. The training exchange was recorded and is available for playback from the NRC website, www.aidsetc.org. The NRC is already considering hosting a possible second training to this popular event. | 