Clearing Misconceptions About Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender and Gender-Diverse People

Updated on Jun 25, 2024 | Diversity and Inclusion, Featured, LGBT Health, Your Health

Gender-affirming care for transgender and gender-diverse people has advanced over the past decade, but connecting patients to this care efficiently remains a challenge, hindered by a lack of awareness.

“Patients worry about what they need to know even before being able to speak to a doctor for gender-affirming care,” said Joshua Safer, MD, Executive Director of the Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery at Mount Sinai.

Even health providers can be unsure of what gender-affirming care entails. Many once believed that they would have to run a series of tests before even being able to refer their transgender patients for specialized care, Dr. Safer said. “It’s a misconception that they have to do anything,” he noted. “There are some tests that they could run that would make their patients’ lives easier, but it is fine to send patients along even without those tests.”

In a conversation with his doctor, Miroslav Djordjevic, MD, Clinical Professor of Urology, patient Kyshane Rowe talks about how life has changed since he began the transition process 10 years ago, and how Mount Sinai’s Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery helped him along the way. Click here to watch the video.

As part of efforts to raise awareness about transgender care, Dr. Safer weighs in on common misconceptions about gender-affirming care and shares tips for patients and providers on how to make the experience seamless.

For patients

For providers

For patients

Seeking gender-affirming care can be overwhelming for transgender and gender-diverse patients, Dr. Safer said. With care that can stretch across multiple specialties, including endocrinology, gynecology, urology, and various surgical subspecialties, patients sometimes think they need to do a bunch of research before even speaking with a provider.

However, speaking with your primary care doctor could be part of that care journey, Dr. Safer said: “Providers can help guide patients with what they need to align their bodies with their gender identities.”

It might be helpful for transgender patients to consider their fertility goals when seeking gender-affirming care. That would help outline what medical or surgical options make sense.
Letters of support from mental health and primary care providers are required to be eligible for gender-affirming surgery. Obtaining those letters isn’t necessarily complicated, and our Center provides templates for them.
Out-of-state patients seeking surgical care in New York City need to be housed within a 90-minute travel distance of the surgery office for at least two weeks. Additionally, the accommodation cannot be a walkup apartment, and a caretaker must be present to assist with cleaning and daily activities.

The Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery at Mount Sinai has set up a hotline to help patients with appointments, or even direct them to “champion providers” within the Health System—providers trained in gender-affirming care, Dr. Safer said.

For patients, click here to learn more about accessing transgender care

For providers

Gender-affirming care in a primary care setting doesn’t need to be complicated, Dr. Safer said. It is fine to refer transgender patients after initial assessments without needing a bunch of tests.

However, should the provider choose to order baseline testing for patients, it would make the patients’ care experience more convenient. Here are some typical tests a provider can consider:

For trans masculine patients (female to male), typical tests include a testosterone profile, estradiol level, hematocrit, and possibly a luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone (LH/FSH)
For trans feminine patients (male to female), typical tests include a testosterone profile, estradiol level, possible LH/FSH testing, and baseline tests for potassium and prolactin
For patients seeking hysterectomy, a current Pap smear is recommended.

There is also a misconception that because insurance companies categorize gender-affirming surgery as a treatment for gender dysphoria, patients need to be seen by a mental health provider, Dr. Safer said.

“If there are underlying mental health concerns, do refer those patients for treatment,” he noted. “But there are many transgender patients who have no mental health concerns and are merely seeking gender-affirming care.”

Providers within the Mount Sinai Health System would already be connected within the Epic system for referrals to any needed specialist, expediting the process, Dr. Safer said. For providers outside the Health System, a dedicated hotline team from the Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery is there to assist, he added.

For providers, click here to learn more about connecting transgender patients to care

Mount Sinai’s Graduating Master’s Students Share Their Experiences and Passions

Updated on Jul 8, 2022 | Featured, School

Why a master’s degree? Here, five graduates at Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences share how they will use their degree to explore new paths and careers.

Mackenzie Langan Receives a Master of Science in Biomedical Science Degree, Immersing Herself in Research and Gaining New Insights into Brain Disorders

“Mount Sinai has completely changed my life. I’ve had a lot of really great mentors and I definitely would not have gotten here without the support of all those people. Everyone is invested in seeing you succeed. And I think that the level of caring is something that has just really blown me away.”

Read her story

Trisha Tagle: A Project Manager in Neurology Plans to Use Her Master of Health Administration Degree To Move Health Care Forward for All Patients

“One of my project proposals focused on how to make health care technology more inclusive. Not every patient has a smartphone, for example. So how can we give more patients access, to make sure they don’t fall through the cracks? I’m a very process-oriented person, so the idea of making sure we capture everyone is very important to me.”

Read her story

How Conducting Research in Artificial Intelligence Through the Master of Science in Clinical Research Program Puts Olivia Cullen on a Physician-Scientist Path

“For me, the MSCR program was an opportunity to understand the inner workings of clinical research to discover what interested me most. Ultimately, I fell in love with data science research, and now I’m about to begin an MD/PhD program at Mount Sinai with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies in Medicine.”

Read her story

Varsha Venu, MBBS, MPH: How Her Training as a Medical Doctor Revealed a New Passion for Public Health

“Without good public health, the entire community suffers, and that is probably the biggest reason why I chose not to become a practicing doctor, but instead to take on roles that would ensure that I could give the best care to an entire community and not just individual patients. Public health enables me to contribute to society in a more holistic way.”

Read her story

A Unique Set of Resources at Mount Sinai Enables Thomas Dolan To Find a Passion for Biostatistics

“[The faculty’s] passion for biostats stands out, and it really showed in their coursework and even in conversations about their field.”

Read his story

Phillips School of Nursing at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Approved for a Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing

Updated on Jul 8, 2022 | Community, Featured, School

The Phillips School of Nursing at Mount Sinai Beth Israel has been approved to charter a chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

Sigma is the global leader in recognizing excellence in education, practice, and research in nursing. This milestone designation will allow the school to charter its own chapter and induct members into the Society from the school as well as nursing leaders in the Mount Sinai Health System.

Laly Joseph, DVM, DNP, CNE, RN, C, MSN, APRN, ANP, FNAP

“We are excited and honored to have received this invitation from Sigma,” said Laly Joseph, DVM, DNP, CNE, RNC, MSN, APRN, ANP, FNAP, Senior Associate Dean at the Phillips School of Nursing and President of the school’s Sigma Chapter. “Sigma members are leaders at all levels of the health care industry, which includes top-notch nursing executives, clinicians, educators, researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others. Our students and nurse leaders from the Health System will join a distinguished group of nurses who have met or exceeded the rigorous standards required to receive an invitation to join Sigma.”

A chartering and induction ceremony is planned for the fall of 2022 and will include nursing students and nurse leaders from the Mount Sinai Health System.

“Being selected to host a Sigma chapter is a testament to our school’s commitment in nursing education and scholarship. I want to thank Dr. Laly Joseph and the faculty for their hard work in preparing us to gain this honor,” said Dean Todd Ambrosia, DNP, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, FNAP.

Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the learning, knowledge, and professional development of nurses as part of a commitment to making a difference in health worldwide. The society was founded in 1922 by six nurses at the Indiana University Training School for Nurses, now the Indiana University School of Nursing.

Dean Todd Ambrosia, DNP, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, FNAP

Sigma’s mission is to create a global community of nurses who lead in using knowledge, scholarship, service and learning to improve public health around the world, which aligns with the mission of the Phillips School of Nursing at Mount Sinai Beth Israel.

Membership is by invitation based on scholarly achievement. Baccalaureate and graduate nursing students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship, along with nurse leaders exhibiting exceptional achievements in nursing, are invited to join.

Sigma has more than 130,000 active members in more than 100 countries, and there are 540 chapters at 700 institutions of higher education worldwide. Members have numerous professional development opportunities in the areas of education, leadership, career development, evidence-based nursing, research, and scholarship.

Annual Dubin Breast Center Event Spotlights an Inspiring Patient Story

Jul 6, 2022 | Featured, Patient Stories

Eva Andersson-Dubin, MD, at podium, with panelist (left to right), David Anderson, MD, FACs, Anna Barbieri, MD, Jeffery Meckanick, MD, Cardinale Smith, MD, PhD, and Joseph Sparano , MD, FACP.

The annual Dubin Breast Center Fact vs. Fiction Luncheon and Symposium is a unique event that provides a forum for Mount Sinai leaders to share key insights about all aspects of breast cancer and healthy living, and to answer questions about emerging trends and the future of women’s health.

More than 130 people attended the event, which was held Wednesday, June 1 at The Harmonie Club in New York City.

The panel discussion was moderated by Elisa Port, MD, FACS, and featured a panel of experts, including David Anderson, MD, FACS; Anna Barbieri, MD; Jeffrey Mechanick, MD; Cardinale Smith, MD, PhD; and Joseph Sparano, MD, FACP. Watch the video here.

In opening remarks, Eva Andersson-Dubin, MD, Trustee of the Mount Sinai Health System and Founder of the Dubin Breast Center, noted how the Center continues to grow.

“Today we see an average of 180 to 200 patients a day, and since the day we opened we have seen 380,000 patients,” she said. “I am so thankful to everyone who works at the Center.”

One patient, Julie McAllister, shared her inspiring story. She was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer six years ago when she was 36 years old.

Julie McAllister tells her story of how the Dubin Breast Center helped her overcome triple negative breast cancer.

“I was in complete shock. I was young, very healthy, active a mother of two children–my youngest was just six months at the time,” she said. “There wasn’t any history of breast cancer in my family. Breast cancer wasn’t even a remote part of my reality. I truly didn’t know if and how I was going to survive. I kept thinking about my kids and how much of their life I was going to be around for, not to mention my husband and I wanted more children.“

Immediately after her initial diagnosis, Shari Brasner, MD, her OBGYN doctor, arranged for additional care. Eventually Ms. McAllister chose Mount Sinai for her treatment and surgery, and she was introduced to Hanna Irie, MD, PhD, who would become her oncologist.

“Dr. Irie was the best and felt like my lifeline during my treatment,” she said. “She was straightforward, incredibly smart, kind, and never made me feel like any of my questions and or fears were silly or unwarranted.” The doctor also helped her find a clinical trial to participate in once she completed her standard treatment.

Ms. McAllister would undergo a number of surgeries, five months of chemotherapy, six weeks of radiation, and then years of ongoing surveillance.

“Throughout all that time, I always felt like I was in the best hands and had the best doctors and nurses looking after me and never felt like a generic cancer patient or a statistic,” she said. “The nurses and staff were extremely warm and knowledgeable. The treatment rooms were comfortable, and I never felt alone.”

She added, “Cancer crushes you physically and mentally. It changes you, puts a fear in you that you never knew existed, and alters the way you think and worry for the rest of your life. But knowing that there are places like the Dubin Breast Center, that there are doctors like the ones I was fortunate enough to call mine, who can and will help treat and cure your cancer, is incredible. I am forever grateful for the treatment and care that I received.”

As a result, she was able to have another child, who was born just four months before the event at The Mount Sinai Hospital, two floors above the Dubin Breast Center.

The Dubin Breast Center at The Tisch Cancer Institute of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai was created in 2011 to provide integrated care and services for every phase of breast health and care, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Clinicians and staff treat each person individually and holistically, with the goal of alleviating anxiety, enriching lives, and supporting emotional and physical well-being. The team works to advance the standard of care with innovative and emerging treatment, while researching life-saving options for the future.

Learn more about the Dubin Breast Center at Mount Sinai

Celebrating Fortitude and Achievement at a Rousing Master’s Commencement Ceremony

Jul 6, 2022 | Featured, School

For the 220 master’s students who had started—and completed—their academic studies at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai entirely during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was an especially joyful in-person graduation at Stern Auditorium on Tuesday, June 21. This was an event that honored much more than degrees—this was a rousing celebration of the Class of 2022, a highly diverse group of students who displayed fortitude, resilience, and altruism as they worked together to achieve their career goals and to serve the Mount Sinai community during unprecedented times.

Click here to meet five of the graduating master’s students and learn more about their experiences and passions

Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, Dean for Academic Affairs and Chief Scientific Officer for Icahn Mount Sinai, greeted the students and guests, saying that two words come to mind when he thinks of this class—grit and optimism. “Grit expresses the idea that a crucial component of success is a person’s ability to pick a goal and stick with it,” said Dr. Nestler. “Grit is interesting because empirical research has shown that it does not correlate with IQ or standardized test scores. Rather, it more closely maps an individual’s conscientiousness to work hard, with scruples and care, and to adapt to new experiences.”

Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, salutes the graduates’ grit and optimism at Master’s Commencement 2022

Dr. Nestler continued: “Optimism may seem like an ephemeral stance in today’s world,” but it “is especially poignant for today’s graduation because each of your master’s degrees…imbue you with the ability to make the world better.” Dr. Nestler is also Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience and Director of The Friedman Brain Institute.

Marta Filizola, PhD, Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, told graduates: “Class of 2022, as I stand here, I applaud your passion, your dedication, and your commitment to hard work. Your experience at the Graduate School has been like no other…Not only have you witnessed history at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai during the COVID-19 pandemic, you have also helped make history with your extraordinary contributions to biomedical research and volunteer work across the Health System.”

Dr. Filizola added: ”We are proud of the diverse group of talented students graduating today, and, now more than ever, we see a need for that diversity in science and health care…You have seen your studies through and added to your growing abilities, and now, when they are needed most, you will be applying your new skills across biomedical and clinical research, data science, genetic counseling, public health, epidemiology, health administration, and health care leadership. We’ve worked together to prepare you to meet some of the greatest challenges these fields have ever faced, and we know you are ready for them.” Dr. Filizola is also the Sharon & Frederick A. Klingenstein/Nathan G. Kase, MD Professor of Pharmacological Sciences, Professor of Neuroscience, and Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health.

Dean Marta Filizola, PhD, congratulates the graduates at Master’s Commencement 2022

The Commencement address was presented by Torian Easterling, MD, MPH, the first Deputy Commissioner and Chief Equity Officer for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene who was appointed at the height of the pandemic in 2020. Dr. Easterling also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree for a career committed to combatting longstanding complex public health disparities that include violence, maternal health outcomes, and chronic disease.

Dr. Easterling received his Master of Public Health degree from Mount Sinai in 2012 and passionately addressed the graduates. “In my role at the Health Department over the last two and a half years, the more public facing part of my job has been to change people’s minds about vaccines,” he said. “But a more longstanding and behind-the-scenes parts of my work involves changing minds, both inside and outside the agency, around public health itself, around equity and why it matters, around why notions like equality and inclusivity and even diversity are insufficient to eliminate inequity and to make the larger changes we need.”

Torian Easterling, MD, MPH, Deputy Commissioner and Chief Equity Officer, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, is Commencement Speaker and receives an honorary degree at Master’s Commencement 2022

He added: “Around health inequity in particular, good intentions—without rigorous science and data-informed analysis, a clear-eyed understanding of root systemic causes, and a fierce ideology of purpose matched with boldness of vision—are stultifying…When I’m asked to describe the work I do, I can answer in one word—change, and the work of change comes in three main forms: changing minds, changing lives, and changing society.” He asked each graduate to join “in solidarity, resolving to change the systems that imprison far too many of us, and by never settling for good intentions.”

There are 220 graduates from nine programs: Master of Science in Biomedical Data Science (7); Master of Science in Biostatistics (5); Master of Health Administration (29); Master of Science in Health Care Delivery Leadership (11); Master of Science in Clinical Research (23); Master of Science in Biomedical Science (61); Master of Public Health (62); Master of Science in Genetic Counseling (12); and Master of Science in Epidemiology (10), which graduated its first class.

When the time came for graduates to receive their degrees, it was a boisterous audience that joined in the celebration. Beyond the formal handshakes, and smiles and hugs onstage, graduates could count on robust applause of friends and family, and special shouts of congratulations from all reaches of Stern Auditorium. This is the Class of 2022, of whom Dr. Easterling had said in his Commencement address: “You are not burgeoning health leaders. You’ve been health professionals and heroes for quite some time already. How about a huge round of applause for yourselves?”

Scenes From Master’s Commencement 2022

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Learn more about Mount Sinai's Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

What Pride Means to Mount Sinai

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured

The 52nd NYC Pride March kicked off in full force on Sunday, June 26, returning in person after a two-year hiatus. Mount Sinai displayed its pride down Fifth Avenue and the full spectrum of the Mount Sinai family—providers, researchers, support staff, students, and more—showed up to impress the importance of LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusivity in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine fields.

Mount Sinai Health System is committed to meeting the needs of LGBTQ+ patients, be it through the Mount Sinai Doctors or hospital networks, the Institute for Advanced Medicine, or the Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery. In addition, the Health System’s dedication to LGBTQ+ representation in employment and training helped it earn a top score of 100 and the designation of “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Healthcare Equality Index earlier this year.

Check out the Mount Sinai contingent at this year’s Pride March:

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