Los Angeles Magazine: Pioneering Program Helping Trans People
Los Angeles Magazine recently focused on Cedars-Sinai’s new Transgender Surgery and Health Program, one of only two academic medical centers in the Western U.S. to offer gender affirmation surgery. The program offers additional services, including hormone treatment, cosmetic surgery, psychological counseling and even help with clothing and make-up.
The article in the May issue of the magazine details how the Cedars-Sinai Transgender Surgery and Health Program was founded in 2017 and is led by Maurice Garcia, MD, a pioneer and expert in gender affirmation surgery. Garcia tells the magazine that he wants the program to serve a population that often has been overlooked, and to lead the way in creating national healthcare standards for transgender patients.
Genital surgery historically has been done in private clinics, which often does not accept Medicare or Medicaid, the article says. As a result, the surgery has been too expensive for many transgender people, who often suffer discrimination, resulting in high rates of unemployment and poverty. The Cedars-Sinai program is available to all patients seeking gender-affirming surgery and healthcare, including those covered by Medi-Cal and Medicare.
Next up, Garcia told the magazine, he hopes to establish universal medical standards for genital surgery, which historically has differed from surgeon to surgeon. Garcia says that he plans to offer educational and research opportunities to medical residents and research fellows.
“The same things that consumers of medical care have historically expected and demanded should be [offered] in this field: choice, high-quality care that follows guidelines and standards of care, and a reliable environment where people are well trained and don’t say inappropriate things,” Garcia told the magazine. “We shouldn’t expect transgender people to settle.”
Click here to read the complete article in Los Angeles Magazine.
Photo: Maurice Garcia, MD, talks with a patient at Cedars-Sinai.