Whitman-Walker

Dr. Kellan Baker represented the Whitman-Walker Institute on the Lavender Law panel on data collection. The discussion highlighted our critical role with government entities like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the states to ensure that Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) data are collected and used safely, and securely to benefit our patients and communities. #weseeyou #wwinstitute

Whitman-Walker, a leader in LGBTQ+ health care, research, education and policy with special expertise in HIV care, and with its brand-new Max Robinson Center in Congress Heights providing comprehensive health services to everyone in community, will host the “East of the River Fall Festival” on Saturday August 17th from 2:00pm-6:00pm at Sycamore & Oak on the St. Elizabeths East campus in the Congress Heights neighborhood of SE Washinton, DC. The Back-to-School Backpack Drive, Health Fair and Block Party will provide free food and drink, live Go-Go music, kids’ entertainment, school supplies, and community health resources and information, along with HIV and STI testing. All are invited to attend! DATE / TIME: Saturday, August 17th from 2:00pm-6:00pm. LOCATION: Sycamore & Oak 1110 Oak Drive SE Washington, DC 20032 (The party will take place rain or shine at the Sycamore & Oak pavilion on the St. Elizabeths East Campus, next to the Entertainment and Sports Arena.) FEATURING: ·        Live entertainment by Culture Queen ·        Go-Go Music by Sirius Company ·        Music sets by DJ Alex Love ·        Sir Harvey Fitz Spoken Word Poetry Performance ·        Free Food and Drink ·        Backpacks with school supplies for the first 500 kids! ·        Special Giveaways ·        Health and Resources Information Fair Special thanks to sponsor Sycamore & Oak for providing: ·        Carnival style Games ·        Moon Bounce ·        Cotton Candy, Snow Cones, and Popcorn ·        Face Painting ·        Balloon Art Students can receive free Hair Braiding provided by Vaya Beauty. ·        The selection process is as follows: ·        Must be a student, and aged 8-18 ONLY. ·        Hair must be natural, clean, loose and free of objects.  ·        Selections will be made through a raffle. ·        Raffle Tickets will be issued to students on site, and numbers will be called periodically during the event as time allows. More information can be found at: https://lnkd.in/eghuf6R8 #weseeyou

The George Washington University- Milken Institute School of Public Health faculty from the department of epidemiology and Whitman-Walker staff members participated in a practice of the “Enhancing Culturally Responsive Services for Black Gay Men along the HIV Continuum” workshop. The workshop is part of the “Culturally Responsive Intersectional Stigma Prevention” (CRISP) intervention of HPTN 096, designed to stop HIV among Black men who have sex with men (MSM) in the southern US. The purpose of this workshop was to help healthcare facilities create an affirming, supportive, and culturally responsive healthcare environment for Black MSM seeking HIV prevention or treatment services.

We're always proud when Kellan E. Baker, the Executive Director of Whitman-Walker Institute, speaks publicly about the challenges that the #LGBTQ+ community faces on a daily basis - especially as regards health care. Data on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) are important demographic information that can improve care—when used properly. But when government officials intentionally misuse SOGI data, problems of access and quality cascade. Vital trust erodes. Find out why SOGI data are (and are not) special, why or when officials ignore HIPAA protections of SOGI data, and what happens when SOGI data become a political football. Thank you, Kellan!

We're proud to share this American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM) podcast program that features Kevin Semelrath, MD, FACEP, who is Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Semelrath also serves on the Whitman-Walker Health Board of Directors.   In this podcast conversation, Dr. Semelrath speaks with Dr. Lorado Mhonda about Whitman Walker Health and the services we provide to the DMV LGBTQ+ population. Dr. Mhonda hosts a podcast series focused on social emergency medicine for the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. In this episode, they discuss the history of WWH, how we have evolved over the years, what kind of medical and nonmedical services we provide, and discuss ways for emergency physicians to get involved with WWH and other similar organizations.   https://lnkd.in/ghR8XEie #whitmanwalker #weseeyou #LGBTQ #health

This is a great article in The Washington Informer by Lindiwe Vilakazi about Whitman-Walker's community efforts to raise awareness of the benefits of #PrEP, particularly among Black women. Excerpts: Through various community efforts, Whitman-Walker, an affirming health center for LGBTQ and community-based health and wellness services, works to heighten public education about PrEP and increase access to the beneficial medication. PrEP is a medication made to help prevent HIV infection in people who are at risk of exposure through either sexual transmission or injection drug use. When the medication is taken as prescribed, PrEP can reduce the risk of getting HIV from sex by up to 99% and from injection drug use by at least 74%. The medication prevents the virus from multiplying in the body and it overtakes healthy cells. Eventually, the virus dies out because it is not able to duplicate and grow, which ultimately prevents transmission. PrEP is commonly marketed as a medication primarily for men in the LGBTQ community. However, as Black women represent an increasing rate of HIV diagnoses, they are also a key demographic that benefits from using PrEP.  Whitman-Walker is making a concerted effort to reach all residents who can benefit from PrEP, as the health center underscores the importance of normalizing health care resources and education in underserved communities where disparities are most prevalent. Further, Ramatoulaye Keita, Whitman-Walker’s director of Community Health and Wellness, highlights the organization’s goal to connect with others who are less aware of the benefits of PrEP, particularly Black women. The community health center is hosting a six-month string of PrEP awareness events at local beauty shops across the city starting with residents residing within the Sycamore and Oak neighborhoods in Southeast, D.C. During each event, the clinic’s health care providers will supply HIV and STI testing, also dispensing PrEP by oral and injectable dosages. The organization is hopeful to see PrEP become a commonly known medication among various demographics as it has stood as the “cornerstone of comprehensive HIV prevention strategies.” https://lnkd.in/emKjxC9r #whitmanwalker #weseeyou #HIV

Today, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, proclaimed July 16, 2024 as PrEP Awareness Day in the District of Columbia. This day is dedicated to raising awareness about the life-saving benefits of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and its critical role in the fight against HIV/AIDS. A press conference was held at Whitman-Walker's Max Robinson Center in Ward 8’s Congress Heights neighborhood to commemorate the occasion. It was led by Juan Carlos Loubriel, Senior Director of Community Health and Wellness, Whitman-Walker Health, and featured comments by Kellan E. Baker, Exec. Dir of Whitman-Walker Institute, and Naseema Shafi, CEO of Whitman-Walker Health. Mayor Bowser was represented by Ms. Clover L. Barnes, RN, BSN, MBA, Senior Deputy Director for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD and TB Administration (HAHSTA) in DC Department of Health. HIV/AIDS continues to be a significant public health challenge, with over 1.2 million people in the United States living with HIV and thousands of new infections each year. To combat this, PrEP, an FDA-approved medication, has proven to reduce the risk of HIV infection by up to 99% when taken as prescribed. Approved by the FDA on July 16, 2012, PrEP is a cornerstone of comprehensive HIV prevention strategies, offering an effective tool for men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, cis-gender women, heterosexual individuals with HIV-positive partners, and people who inject drugs. PrEP is fpr everyone who is sexually active, and it's 99% effective at preventing HIV when taken as prescribed. Speak to your provider about #PrEP or connect with Whitman-Walker's PrEP Clinic Team: Call 202.939.7690; Text 202.804.3823; Email: prepclinic@whitman-walker.org #prepawareness #prepawarenessday #weseeyou #whitmanwalker

Whitman-Walker's Vice President for Access and Strategic Initiatives Erin Loubier will be a panelist at this important webinar on #PrEP in Medicare, sponsored by HIVHep & AIDS United on Thurs July 11th, 4-5pm EDT, to help prepare for Medicare Part B’s new coverage of PrEP. It is moderated by Carl Schmid and features White House #AIDS Director Francisco Ruiz and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Dora Hughes, along with other expert panelists Glen Pietrandoni, and Bill Keeton. Register here: https://t.co/V2HynP01YR or QR code below.

Whitman-Walker Institute Condemns Nationwide Injunction Blocking Federal Nondiscrimination Protections for Transgender People Following a ‘Shameful’ Decision in Tennessee Case   WASHINGTON, D.C. [July 3, 2024] — Whitman-Walker Institute condemns the politically motivated ruling from a federal district court judge that blocks vital nondiscrimination protections for #transgender people across the country. Today, a U.S. district court judge in Mississippi issued a nationwide injunction in State of Tennessee v. Becerra, blocking enforcement of key parts of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. This ruling directly attacks a regulation issued in April 2024 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which strengthened nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQI+ people in health care and health coverage nationwide. This ruling was the first of three rulings today in which judges prioritized politics over people and blocked key non-discrimination protections in healthcare for transgender people and for millions of other Americans. The regulation that was blocked in these three cases demonstrated a strong commitment to ensuring health care and health insurance access for all by securing nondiscrimination protections for some of our nation’s most marginalized communities, including transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people, people with limited English proficiency, people with disabilities, and people seeking reproductive health care. Dr. Kellan E. Baker, Executive Director of the Whitman-Walker Institute, says, “It’s shameful that a federal judge would side with bigots in seeking to dismantle these protections. The Biden-Harris administration correctly took action to help remove barriers to care and advance health equity for underserved communities, including LGBTQI+ people. Robust enforcement of this rule is critical to improve the health and well-being of LGBTQI+ people across the country. This ruling is part of a dangerous trend in which politicians deny and disregard the clear evidence documenting the harms of widespread discrimination against LGBTQI+ people, particularly transgender people, in health care and health insurance.” Whitman-Walker Institute, which leverages research, policy, and education to advance health equity nationwide, is affiliated with Whitman-Walker Health, the lead plaintiff in a 2020 federal lawsuit brought to reverse the Trump administration’s weakening of Section 1557’s nondiscrimination protections for underserved communities, particularly LGBTQI+ people. According to the 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey, nearly 50% of respondents who saw a provider in the last year had at least one negative health care experience because of their gender identity. Twenty-three percent of LGBTQI+ respondents, including 37% of transgender respondents, reported postponing or avoiding needed medical care in the past year due to disrespect or discrimination by providers. ###

Audacy, Inc. Radio- The Washington Report: Whitman-Walker Institute’s initiatives to help D.C. are highlighted in radio interview The Audacy radio stations (106.7FM, 94.7FM, 99.1FM, 980AM, 1580AM, WPGC Radio) recently shared details about Whitman-Walker Institute’s important initiatives on its public affairs program “The Washington Report.” Lienna Feleke-Eshete, Senior Manager of Policy, discussed work that resulted in a $5 copay in D.C. across all standard insurance plans for unlimited mental and behavioral health visits and prescriptions for all youth under age 19. Feleke-Eshete said, “Whitman-Walker Institute is the sibling organization to Whitman-Walker Health, which is the actual health care provider. The Institute works to expand the body of knowledge and strengthen the health care that Whitman-Walker Health provides and that’s through our work in research, policy advocacy and in education. This project is one we’re doing through our policy advocacy department.” Jonathon Rendina, PhD, MPH, Senior Director of Research, discussed the INCLUDE cancer study, which the Institute is conducting in collaboration with the Cancer Support Community (CSC), to test a new multi-cancer early detection product called Galleri Test®. Full interview can be heard here: https://bit.ly/4cpw2i3