Attendees and speakers from around the world will join virtual event
INDIANAPOLIS—Indiana University School of Medicine will soon host its 5th annual LGBTQ+ Health Care Conference, a three-day event designed for health care professionals, learners, researchers, patients, community organizations and interested community members seeking to understand the unique health care practices and needs within the LGBTQ+ population. This year’s virtual conference will be held March 24-26.
“IU School of Medicine is proud to be an international resource for LGBTQ+ health care,” said Jay L. Hess, MD, PhD, MHSA, dean of IU School of Medicine and IU’s executive vice president for university clinical affairs. “Our job is to provide the best care possible for every person who entrusts us with their health. This multidisciplinary conference will provide in-depth knowledge for students, staff and health care providers to continue improving care for the LGBTQ+ patient population.”
The conference has grown significantly each year since it was first held in 2017, surpassing 1,000 attendees in 2021 and that many or more expected to register again from around the world this year. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the school first moved the conference to an online format in 2020, creating more accessibility for attendees.
“This year we are thrilled to welcome speakers and attendees from outside the United States for the first time,” said Alvaro Tori, MD, associate dean for diversity affairs at IU School of Medicine. “This conference has seen significant growth over the last several years and we look forward to continuing to educate others on how to provide the best equitable and justice-centered care possible for LGBTQ+ patients.”
This year’s theme is “Beyond Resilience: Centering Equity in LGBTQ Health Care.” Attendees will learn how to provide respectful, patient-centered, culturally-competent health care and how to better support LGBTQ patients.
“We aim to curate a learning opportunity that centers LGBTQ+ voices and examines the role of systemic racism and other structural factors that influence injustice and health inequities that impact LGBTQ people,” said Juan Carlos Venis, MD, MPH, assistant professor of clinical family medicine and primary care physician for the Eskenazi Health Gender Health Program.
“The Eskenazi Health Gender Health Program was launched in 2016, and we’re proud that it’s the first comprehensive, gender-affirming care program in Indiana,” said Janine Fogel, MD, medical director of the Eskenazi Health Gender Health Program and co-director of the IU School of Medicine LGBTQ+ family medicine residency track. “The LGBTQ+ Health Care Conference is a great way for us to share knowledge on how to provide quality and comprehensive care and support to the LGBTQ+ population. Education of future health care providers has been one of our highest priorities.”
The conference is free for medical students and trainees and affordable tickets are available to the public. IU School of Medicine faculty members along with community members, scholars and social workers from across the country are scheduled to present. Keynote speakers include T.J. Jourian, PhD, Aydin Olson- Kennedy, LCSW, Johanna Olson-Kennedy, MD, and Carl Streed Jr., MD, MPH. A new film called “My name is Pauli Murray,” a documentary about a non-binary lawyer, activist and poet, will also be screened. Biography information for all speakers as well as more information about the agenda and how to register are available on our website.
###
IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability.