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Transgender Members Shape Own Health Care

Watch a brief video to learn about Kaiser Permanente’s member advisory councils, including one dedicated to bringing “compassion-filled health care” to transgender patients.

Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s Transgender Member Advisory Council began in Oakland and now includes a council in Sacramento, too. Patients, their family members, and clinicians meet once a month to discuss how to improve the transgender care experience. The scope of the Oakland council’s work has ranged from updating the online trainings for nursing staff and physicians to launching peer navigation support for people who are navigating their way through the Kaiser Permanente hospital system for transgender health care.

“These advisory councils encourage people to voice aspects along the care journey that need improvement,” said Yener Balan, MD, Executive Director, Behavioral Health. “We’re providing a voice to the community that has often been marginalized and pushed aside. They’re energized. They bring that wealth of experience and passion to be able to improve processes.”

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This Post Has 22 Comments

  1. This is awesome. I would love to be part of that when it comes to Kaiser Permanente Vallejo. This is amazing, thank you, Kaiser Permanente for this. If anyone knows of anything in the Vallejo area, please let me know.

      1. Thank you, Lynn, for the information : ) hope all is well with you and your family through all of this

  2. I would like to learn more about this. I would love to get a council here in the CVA or at least learn if/how to get involved with the one in Sac.

  3. I would also like to join if a council is developed in the DSA. As the sister of a proud transgender woman, I am passionate about being a part of educating our caregivers, workforce, and service area to be a more inclusive, compassionate, and equitable environment for our members to receive care.

  4. This is amazing! As a KP RN and proud parent of a transgender son, Kaiser has been an integral part of my child’s journey into becoming the person he was always meant to be. How does one become a part of the council? Additionally is there any talk of starting a council in the DSA? It’s much needed here. I would love to be able to help give back not only to this community of people that I hold very close to my heart but also the organization that has been instrumental in our family’s journey.

  5. I want to be part of this member advisory councils. This video touches my heart passionately. I currently work for KP Sacramento region with our newest gender pathways plastic surgeon and have never in my 15 years in the medical field felt so compassionate about a specific specialty as I do the gender pathways specialty clinic currently called Sacramento plastic surgery department. PROUD KP member and employee!

  6. This sounds like a long overdue and necessary initiative. There is a huge need for a Transgender Member Advisory Council in the DSA and I would like to volunteer to become a member. As an employee and member of over two decades who began my transition within the Kaiser system in 2004, I feel I have a lot to offer our members.

  7. This was a very timely video, as I was recently asked if a council that addresses the concerns of our transgender members existed. Now I have an educated response. How does an interested party become part of the council?

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