Allies in White Coats: Introducing The AFFIRM Program

Introducing the AFFIRM Patient-Centered Care Program: A Call to Action for Healthcare Professionals

My Journey to Affirmation

As a pediatrician, a mother, and an advocate, my career has been shaped by my lived experience. The moment that truly changed everything for me wasn’t during medical school, nor was it in my years of practice, it was in my own home. When my eldest child came out as transgender, I had to face the truth that, despite all my medical training, I was not equipped with the knowledge or framework to provide truly affirming care, even within my own family.

Like many doctors, I had been taught about diseases, diagnostics, and treatment plans, but no one had prepared me for the profound responsibility of affirming a patient’s identity as a fundamental aspect of healthcare. The more I researched, the more I realized how deeply systemic bias and ignorance harm LGBTQIA+ patients, particularly Black transgender individuals, who often face medical neglect, misdiagnosis, and outright discrimination.

Too many gender and sexually minor patients complain about feeling alienated, misgendered, tokenized, and unaffirmed by their healthcare providers. They want to go to the doctor and leave feeling seen, listened to, advocated for, and treated like any other patient. Sadly, too many avoid the medical system completely as a result of too many incidences of trauma.

This realization led me to create the AFFIRM Patient-Centered Care Program, a hands-on transformative approach designed to equip healthcare professionals with the tools to deliver competent, culturally compassionate, and affirming care to LGBTQIA+ patients.

The Problem: A Healthcare System That Fails LGBTQIA+ Patients

LGBTQIA+ individuals, especially Black and Brown transgender patients, experience staggering health disparities due to systemic discrimination and unprepared medical professionals. The statistics are sobering:

• 20% of LGBTQ+ individuals report experiencing discrimination during healthcare visits, compared to 3% of non-LGBTQ+ individuals. 19thnews.org+6
• 16% of LGBTQ+ adults have avoided seeking medical care due to anticipated discrimination, with this figure rising to 22% among transgender individuals.
• A study found that 50% of Black transgender women had died by age 67, which is 16 years earlier than their cisgender counterparts. American Journal of Public Health

These numbers are not just data points; they represent real people who suffer preventable harm. Bias in medicine isn’t just unethical; it’s dangerous.

What is the AFFIRM Patient-Centered Care Program?

AFFIRM is a high-impact training program designed to bridge the gap between medical knowledge and affirming practice. It’s built on five core principles:

1. Acknowledge Implicit Bias: Every provider must confront personal and systemic biases that shape our medical decision-making.
2. Foster Trust: LGBTQIA+ patients, particularly Black trans patients, need providers who create safe and inclusive healthcare spaces.
3. Frame Healthcare Through Identity: Understanding that gender, race, and sexuality all intersect to shape health outcomes.
4. Implement Evidence-Based Affirming Care: Moving beyond performative allyship to integrating affirming medical practices.
5. Reimagine Patient-Centered Care: Shifting from a pathology-based approach to one rooted in dignity, respect, and affirmation.

The AFFIRM Patient-Centered Care Program provides healthcare professionals with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to deliver affirming, life-saving care to LGBTQIA+ patients. This is not just cultural competency training, it’s a transformation in practice.

Why This Program Matters for Healthcare Professionals

Whether you are a physician, nurse, mental health provider, or healthcare administrator, affirming care is not optional, it is an ethical, professional, and legal responsibility. The AFFIRM program empowers healthcare professionals to:

? Improve Patient Outcomes: LGBTQIA+ patients who receive affirming care have lower rates of mental health crises, better treatment adherence, and improved overall health.

? Reduce Medical Harm & Legal Risks: Non-affirming care leads to misdiagnoses, malpractice claims, and ethical violations that could have been prevented.

? Increase Patient Trust & Retention: Trust is the foundation of effective healthcare. When patients feel safe, they seek care earlier and engage more actively in their health.

? Meet Ethical & Professional Standards: Organizations like the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the World Health Organization (WHO) recognize affirming care as the gold standard.

Who Is This Program For?

The AFFIRM Patient-Centered Care Program is designed for healthcare professionals who are ready to make a real change. If you are:

? A doctor looking to improve how you treat LGBTQIA+ patients beyond just knowing the terminology… ? A nurse or frontline provider who wants to ensure every patient encounter is affirming and trauma-informed… ? A healthcare leader or policymaker striving to implement systemic changes that foster affirming environments… ? A medical educator looking to integrate LGBTQIA+ patient care into curricula…

Then this program is for you.

A Call to Action: Be the Change

Healthcare is not just about treating illness, it is about ensuring every patient feels seen, heard, and valued. The AFFIRM Patient-Centered Care Program is more than a training; it’s a movement toward justice, equity, and ethical medical practice.

If you are ready to become an affirming healthcare provider, I invite you to join the AFFIRM program and take a stand for inclusive, equitable, and patient-centered care.

?? Want to learn more? Reach out to me on LinkedIn or visit my website to explore how you can bring AFFIRM to your practice or institution.

Let’s transform healthcare, one affirming provider at a time. ??????

#AFFIRMCare #LGBTQHealth #AffirmingMedicine #EquityInHealthcare #PatientCenteredCare

Dr. Lulu