HIV Waiting Room: Newly diagnosed transgender woman

Faculty

Bruce Hinton PA-C, AAHIVMS
CrescentCare Health and Wellness Center
New Orleans, Louisiana

Bruce Hinton received his physician assistant certificate from the University of California, and since 2012 has been credentialed as an human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) specialist with the Academy of HIV Medicine.  Prior to relocating to New Orleans, he worked as a physician assistant in private practice in Los Angeles where his clinical focus was lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer (LGBTQ) primary care, HIV management, clinical research of investigational HIV and hepatitis C treatments, and preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP).  At CrescentCare, Mr. Hinton has focused on HIV management, expansion of PrEP services, and the medical care of transgender persons.  He has also actively participated in the agency’s “Start Initiative” which has provided nearly 200 newly diagnosed individuals, including transgender women, with HIV treatment within 72 hours of their diagnosis.

Carole Pindaro, APRN
CrescentCare
New Orleans, Louisiana

Carole Pindaro received her Master of Nursing from the Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, Mississippi in 1990, after receiving her Master of Public Health in 1984 from the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Ms. Pindaro has worked exclusively with HIV since the beginning of the epidemic – first at the Louisiana State University HIV Outpatient Program (HOP), then the NO/AIDS Task Force in 2008, and now CrescentCare.  She is a certified diabetes educator and a board certified advanced practice registered nurse.  Ms. Pindaro has a special interest working in transgender care and has been doing so for over 20 years.  She has been honored on the Great 100 Nurses of Louisiana list and has earned the Merlyn Maillian Award for Clinical Excellence in Nursing.

Target Audience

This activity is intended for infectious disease and HIV specialist physicians and other clinicians involved in the care of patients with HIV infection

Statement of Need/Program Overview

Transgender patients face an increased risk of contracting HIV, and for those who are HIV positive, a unique set of challenges in treatment. This population achieves viral suppression less frequently than cisgender populations, making it essential for clinicians to understand the factors that determine this gap and optimal strategies to improve patient care. This case-based, interactive activity focuses on transgender women with HIV, creating a clinical scenario addressing treatment initiation, incorporating gender-affirming hormone therapy into care, adherence, common comorbidities, and strategies to create a gender-affirming practice.

Educational Objectives

After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

• Implement strategies to overcome the barriers to and facilitate the benefits of timely HIV treatment initiation, including consideration of rapid ART protocols
• Describe the HIV treatment considerations unique to transgender women to improve engagement in care and optimize viral suppression

Physician Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Global Education Group (Global) and Integritas.  Global is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Physician Credit Designation

Global designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Global Contact Information

For information about the accreditation of this program, please contact Global at 303-395-1782 or cme@globaleducationgroup.com.

Instructions to Receive Credit

In order to receive credit for this activity, the participant must complete the posttest and program evaluation. Your posttest will automatically be graded. If you successfully complete the posttest (score of 65% or higher), your statement of participation will be made available immediately. Click on the View Statement of Participation link and print the statement for your records. If you receive a score lower than 65%, you will receive a message notifying you that you did not pass the posttest. You will have 2 opportunities to pass the posttest.

Fee Information & Refund/Cancellation Policy

There is no fee for this educational activity.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Global requires instructors, planners, managers, and other individuals and their spouses/life partners who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose any real or apparent conflict of interest they may have as related to the content of this activity. All identified conflicts of interest are thoroughly vetted by Global for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies mentioned in the materials or used as the basis for content, and appropriateness of patient care recommendations.

The following faculty reported that neithr they nor their spouses/life partners had financial relationships or relationships to products or devices with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Bruce Hinton PA-C, AAHIVMS; Carole Pindaro, APRN

The following planners and managers reported that neither they nor their spouses/life partners had financial relationships or relationships to products or devices twith commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Lindsay Borvansky; Andrea Funk; Liddy Knight; Ashley Cann; Gena Dolson, MS; Stacey JP Ullman, MS; Jim Kappler, PhD

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. Global and Integritas do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. 

The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of any organization associated with this activity. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

Disclaimer

Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of patient conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.