APICHA LAUNCHES TRANSGENDER CLINIC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2011

(New York, NY) – APICHA, one of New York’s most progressive community health centers, officially opens the doors to a Transgender Clinic, made possible by a generous three-year grant from the Paul Rapoport Foundation, in ceremo-nies to be held 9AM November 3, 2011 here at 400 Broadway New York, NY. Prominent local politicians and community leaders including the Honorable An-drew Cuomo, Governor of New York, have been invited to lead the ribbon cut-ting, which will be followed by a panel discussion and Q & A session on the various social, political and medical issues faced by transgender individuals to-day.

The groundbreaking APICHA Transgender Clinic provides comprehensive medical services including the initiation and maintenance of hormone therapy along with mental and social support services designed to accommodate the dis-tinct needs of transgender individuals with particular focus on communities of color. Throughout its existence and evolution, APICHA has advocated for and provided the finest range of medical care services to the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community who routinely encounter discrimination and stigma in traditional health care settings. Since the 2009 expansion of its primary care services it became apparent that the agency had to develop an inte-grated program that could appropriately address the unique healthcare require-ments of transgender patients.

“This clinic is a small though absolutely significant step in our agency’s long standing and continuing struggle for equal access to health care,” says APICHA chief executive officer Therese R. Rodriguez. “We are grateful to the Paul Rapoport Foundation for its continued support and confidence in our work and more importantly for our shared mission in improving health care access for the LGBT community.”

The highly competent APICHA medical team led by chief medical officer Dr. Robert Murayama builds upon their years of extensive experience working with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patients with the new Transgender Clinic, which will have an appointed project coordinator to work closely with the medical and mental health providers. In addition to the direct medical ser-vices, APICHA will also provide transgender-specific sensitivity training to Asian & Pacific Islander community partners.