As the Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference puts on its 15th year of programming, organizers decided to take a look back with the theme of “Honoring Our Roots.”
They created the Charlene Arcila Pioneer Award, in tribute to the community activist whose work removed gender markers from SEPTA transpasses. Arcila was also an original founder of the Trans-Health Conference, which is now a Mazzoni Center program.
Nominees for the inaugural award will be announced at a plenary at 1 p.m. June 9 in Room 119A of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St. All conference events from June 9-11 will take place at the Convention Center. It’s free to attend the general conference. Registration fees vary for the professional track.
The Arcila award winner will be recognized 1 p.m. June 10 in Room 119A.
“Our goal is … to provide a nourishing experience for every attendee to build community, develop better ally-ship skills, create safety and share their insights with others,” conference coordinator Samantha Dato said in a statement.
Also new this year: Health-care providers and lawyers can take advantage of an expanded professional track with nearly 50 workshops. The subfields include Trans Behavioral Health Initiative, Trans Clinical Care and Management and Continuing Legal Education.
Some workshops already have considerable buzz, like one on the Affordable Care Act and how it impacts treatment for transgender patients, and another in the behavioral health track that covers transference and counter-transference for trans providers working with trans patients.
“The professional track of this conference has become a tremendous resource for providers from near and far to access best practices and current information,” Mazzoni CEO Nurit Shein said in a statement.
It’s the fourth year that professional-track workshops have been offered. Doctors and lawyers who volunteered their time had organized them. Nikki Hatza was hired before last year’s conference to manage their continued growth, among other Mazzoni duties.
Costs vary from $50 for law students to $275 for medical doctors and doctors of osteopathic medicine. Hatza said organizers wanted to keep the cost low to make the information accessible.
Professionals can walk away with up to 12 continuing-education units, called CEUs.
“That’s a lot for a two-day period,” Hatza said. “The professional track, it’s grown in terms of the urgency of the providers who want this information. The professional community not only wants competency, but also there’s a desire to become advocates with the trans community.”
Hatza added that there would be a free professional networking mixer from 5-7 p.m. June 10 at The Field House, 1150 Filbert St.
“A lot of times, providers can feel siloed or isolated, especially in rural areas,” she said, adding the mixer would be a good opportunity to “build connections with other people you can rely on or call or email if you have questions.”
People attending the general conference can look forward to workshops on things like the deaf trans experience; preparing a trans child for college; and the era of medical tourism with a focus on trans rights in Thailand, a common place from which trans people have sought surgeries.
More than 4,000 people are expected to attend. There are 230 workshops.
“Through the conference, we are proud to provide a space where community members can come together to advocate for their needs and interests, and feel connected and empowered in multiple aspects of their lives,” Shein stated.
For more information or to register for the professional track, visit www.mazzonicenter.org/trans-health.