The 8th annual 2023 LGBTQIA+ SoCal Health Conference at Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine (KPSOM), which features a variety of speakers, workshops, and panels aimed at promoting inclusivity and understanding within the healthcare industry, will take place on campus on May 13 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
At the event, themed “Synergistic Collaboration,” LGBTQIA+ students and allies in the health industry come together to exchange ideas, build community, and find empowerment through lectures and workshops.
Established in 2015, the conference is open to everyone 18 years old and above including healthcare providers, students, and community members.
“The main objective of the conference is to bring together lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual healthcare students, healthcare professionals, and community members, and their allies, to take part in dynamic conversations on healthcare’s most urgent issues,” said Anna Richards, student at the KPSOM.
Richards said discussions at the event will center on various topics relevant to LGBTQIA+ community including family planning, ethical non-monogamy, HIV prevention and many others.
“Participants will have the opportunity to learn from many specialties, such as primary care, otolaryngology, and reproductive endocrinology, about the most up-to-date guidelines for LGBTQIA+ care,” said Richards.
In addition to the educational opportunities, participants will also be able to enhance their interpersonal skills and learn from patients themselves “about their experiences in healthcare spaces and the beauty and power of their identities.”
The medical students of KPSOM, UCI, UCLA, USC, and UCSD make up the Executive Planning Committee, which organized the event.
“As a committee, our mission is to educate, empower, and support all who advocate for the physical, emotional, and psychological wellness of LGBTQIA+ communities. We are so grateful to be hosted by KPSOM, a place that shares our values of uplifting and celebrating diverse LGBTQIA+ voices,” said Richards.
At KPSOM, LGBTQIA+ rights are taken seriously, according to school officials.
“LGBTQIA+ populations are one of many historically marginalized groups for which the school is particularly attuned in addressing inequities and assuring inclusion,” Mark Schuster, Founding Dean and CEO of KPSOM said.
Schuster said KPSOM’s case-based curriculum approach, which includes scenarios involving LGBTQIA+ patients, helps students actively learn how to provide compassionate, patient-centered care by addressing individual and social factors that influence health.
“We have a faculty director of inclusive curriculum and faculty and staff who work to assure representation of all communities and remove bias and stereotyping. And we host specific curricular events, such as its half-day sessions on evidence-informed, affirming, and culturally sensitive care to gender diverse and intersex patients,” Schuster added.
Nearly 30% of the students at KPSOM identify as LGBTQIA+, according to Schuster.
To register for the upcoming LGBTQIA+ SoCal Health Conference, visit the link below:
https://socallgbthealthcon.wixsite.com/socal-lgbtq/general-4
To view the schedule, visit: https://socallgbthealthcon.wixsite.com/socal-lgbtq/schedule
KPSOM is located at 98 South Los Robles Avenue.
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