Transgender Health Program: For Health Care Professionals

Dr. Lishiana Shaffer, a gynecologist-obstetrician, is among the many OHSU providers who work with the Transgender Health Program to care for gender-diverse patients
Dr. Lishiana Shaffer, a gynecologist-obstetrician, is among the many OHSU providers who care for gender-diverse patients through the Transgender Health Program.

Refer a patient

The Transgender Health Program offers resources, training and help with referrals to health care professionals in the community. You’ll find our providers and their clinics below.

Contact us at 503-494-7970 or transhealth@ohsu.edu  with questions.

  1. Please complete our Request for Transgender Health Services referral form.
  2. Some services have specific prerequisites for patients to be seen. Please make sure all fields on the form are complete.
  3. Fax the referral form to 503-346-6854.

Grand rounds: You're invited

Please join our quarterly series on issues generated by and important to the transgender and gender-diverse community. These learning opportunities aim to educate providers to:

  • Eliminate disparities in health care
  • Promote equity, healing and visibility

All sessions are online, noon to 1 p.m.

Watch previous grand rounds.

* TGD = transgender and gender diverse

Continuing medical education

Accreditation: Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit: OHSU School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM.  Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Mental health providers: Write a letter of support

OHSU providers follow World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH)  Standards of Care, Version 8. This means some surgical referrals require a mental health letter of support. The letter should be written by a licensed mental health provider. If written by an unlicensed provider, the letter should be attested to and co-signed by a licensed supervisor.

  1. Please use this fillable mental health letter of support template to complete the letter.
  2. Fax the letter to 503-346-8310.

Transgender Health Program training

The Transgender Health Program provides training and classes to health care professionals and offices. We can help you provide hormone therapy and other forms of gender-affirming care in a welcoming environment. Learn more:

Find an OHSU provider

Adult care

Electrolysis

Laser hair removal

The Transgender Health Program encourages primary care providers to manage hormone therapy whenever possible. This avoids disruptions in care and reduces travel time for patients who live outside the Portland area. The THP can provide resources, technical assistance and advice if you need.

Specialty care: See Endocrinology (above) for patients who need specialty hormone therapy care because of diabetes, thyroid disease or other conditions.

Surgical services

Gender-affirming mastectomy and gender-affirming breast augmentation

Laryngochrondoplasty (Adam’s apple reduction; also called a tracheal shave)

Vocal surgery to raise pitch 

OHSU research

OHSU providers have done extensive research on topics related to caring for gender-diverse patients. Here is a selection of papers:

OHSU presentations

Suicide Risk and Resilience Among TGD People Across the Lifespan

June 17, 2021: Beyond “Born in the Wrong Body”: Challenging out Biases to Provide Inclusive Care for Nonbinary Youth | Dr. Kara Connelly, Dr. Danielle Moyer, and Jess Guerriero, MSW

June 2, 2021: Beyond Medicine: The Healing Power of Gender Affirming Care

June 4, 2020: More than Medicine: Creating Safety Nets for Gender Diverse Youth | Dr. Kara Connelly, Dr. Danielle Moyer, and Jess Guerriero, MSW

May 3, 2016: Gender Reassignment Surgery: Experience From Belgrade | Miroslav L. Djordjevic, M.D., professor of pediatric surgery/urology, University Children’s Hospital in Belgrade Serbia

March 22, 2016: Medical and Surgical Transition for Transgender People | Daniel D. Dugi III, M.D., FACS, assistant professor of urology, OHSU; and Amy Penkin, LCSW, clinical program manager, OHSU Transgender Health Program

March 15, 2016: Building Trans Awareness and Responsiveness (Part 2) | Amy Penkin, LCSW, clinical program manager, OHSU Transgender Health Program

March 1, 2016: Transgender Health Program Community Forum: Vaginoplasty | Daniel D. Dugi III, M.D., FACS, assistant professor of urology, OHSU

June 5, 2015: Building Trans Awareness and Responsiveness (Part 1) | Amy Penkin, LCSW, clinical program manager, OHSU Transgender Health Program

March 22, 2015: Assessing Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Clinical Encounters | Juno Obedin-Maliver, M.D., M.P.H., and Mitchell R. Lunn, M.D., University of California-San Francisco

Continue your education

Stay connected

  • Track your patient’s care: EpicCare Link gives you easy online access to your patient's shared electronic medical records.
  • Provider relations: OHSU’s Provider Relations Team can help you resolve issues, enroll in or learn how to use EpicCare Link, and access continuing education opportunities.
  • Newsletter: Connections, our quarterly newsletter for primary care providers, reports on the latest medical developments at OHSU.