Keck Medicine of USC announces strategic collaboration with The TransLatin@ Coalition to improve access to specialized care for the transgender community

Newswise — LOS ANGELES — Keck Medicine of USC today announced a strategic collaboration with The TransLatin@ Coalition, the largest trans-led nonprofit organization in Los Angeles that advocates for the needs of transgender, gender non-conforming and intersex (TGI) immigrants across the country. 

The collaboration will streamline the development of health care services that address the varied needs of the transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse community through a social, economic and racial justice lens. It also further establishes a strong community foundation with the LGBTQ+ community as Keck Medicine develops specialized services for patients to access comprehensive, affirming health care.

“Keck Medicine embraces the diversity of our patients, staff and faculty,” said Rod Hanners, CEO of Keck Medicine. “Our collaboration with The TransLatin@ Coalition allows us to provide health care that holistically addresses the needs of our transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse patients and deliver access to comprehensive resources in a safe, supportive and welcoming environment.”

 The collaboration includes:

• Establishment of a patient/peer navigator to assist patients in navigating through the health system to meet their personalized needs and facilitate access to care between organizations.

• Education and training opportunities for faculty and staff across both organizations regarding best practices in LGBTQ+ health care.

• Community engagement, focus groups and forums to advance dialogue to share progress and solicit input and feedback.

“The TransLatin@ Coalition understands the many social and economic issues that disproportionately impact the TGI community,” said Bamby Salcedo, president and CEO of The TransLatin@ Coalition.  “We are historically underserved by health systems, making it difficult for the TGI community to feel heard and access the care we need. This important collaboration with Keck Medicine allows us to share the resources and expertise of a top-tier academic medical center to help improve the health and lives of our local TGI community.”

Keck Medicine also recently received the designation of “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) for the sixth time in recent years. The index is a leading national benchmarking survey of health care facility policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of LGBTQ+ patients, visitors and employees. 

The TransLatin@ Coalition was founded in 2009 by transgender immigrant women in Los Angeles to address the specific needs of the TGI community. The national trans-led organization addresses social determinants of health and advocates for racial and social justice for the TGI community. 

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For more information about Keck Medicine of USC, please visit news.KeckMedicine.org.