My portfolio's prevalent theme is my dedication and commitment to enhancing patient safety. I also get excited about advocating for the gender affirming community. My initial exposure to this community occurred while working with post-phalloplasty patients at NYU Langone Health. This experience ignited my aspiration to emerge as a trailblazer within the occupational therapy field, particularly for the gender affirmation, or transgender, population.

My contributions within this population are evident through: 

1. Development of a patient education handout entitled "Performing Daily Activities After Your Phalloplasty"

2. Co-creation and co-presentation of a continuing education course titled "Rehabilitation Considerations, Acute through Outpatient"

• Co-Authors: Jamie Nguyen, MS, OTR/L, CHT​ and Eugene Gersh, MOT, OTR/L, CHT​ (Clinical Specialist and Assistant Unit Supervisor at NYU Langone Orthopedic Center)

• December 23, 2022

3. Presentation of a poster at the AOTA Inspire 2023 conference, titled "An Occupational Therapy Protocol for Gender Affirming Patients Status-Post Phalloplasty in the Acute Care Setting"

4. Preparation of asynchronous materials for an NYIT Contemporary and Emerging Occupational Therapy Practice class

• Fall 2023

Required Reading:

Walker, K., McCune, K., Kirby, A. (2021). Occupational therapy’s role in gender-

affirming surgeries. OT practice. 26(10), 10–13. https://doi.org/10.7138/otpracticemagazine

Suggested Reading:

Bar, M. A., Jarus, T., Wada, M., Rechtman, L., & Noy, E. (2016). Male-to-female 

transitions: Implications for occupational performance, health, and life 

satisfaction. Canadian journal of occupational therapy. 83(2), 72–82. 

https://doi.org/10.1177/0008417416635346

Guillory, Bri, & Lili Rafalski. (2023) Affirming Gender Identity and Pronouns. 

American Occupational Therapy Association. 

www.aota.org/-/media/corporate/files/practice/dei/affirming-gender-

identity-and-pronouns.pdf

Learning Objectives:

1. To understand on the unique role that occupational therapy plays within the gender affirmation population

2. To highlight the treatment plan and progression of a patient status-post phalloplasty through the continuum of care

Asynchronous Recording:

Please see the recording about OT’s role in the gender affirmation population.

Discussion Prompts:

1. What challenges could arise while adhering to these surgical precautions that could impact your clients’ meaningful self care tasks? Are there any adaptions that could be helpful to ensure that these precautions are adhered to while in the hospital and after discharge?  

2. In your future OT practice, how might you create space for your clients/ patients (such as Sean or Abby in the case studies) to express their gender identity? How might you convey to a new client/ patient that you are aware of and open to the existence of genders beyond the binary categories of male and female? 

I initially didn't intend to highlight my work with the gender affirmation population in my portfolio. Upon further reflection, however, I realized the importance of acknowledging these additional achievements. Although this field is rapidly expanding within occupational therapy and globally, it remains relatively 'niche.' I am deeply committed to advocating for the role of occupational therapy within this community. However, I do recognize the overlap in the work presented above, which might not serve as distinct and robust artifacts for the purpose of this OTD.

During the creation of the patient education handout, I prioritized health literacy. Acknowledging the diversity of people's backgrounds and varying literacy levels, I ensured the handout's approval by NYU Langone Health's Literacy Department for dissemination to patients.

Looking ahead, I aspire to deepen my involvement within the gender affirmation population. I plan to continue mentoring new practitioners in my OT Department. Through this, I intend to empower these new practitioners, helping them build confidence and competence in working with patients who have undergone phalloplasty. Additionally, I hope to teach a short course at an AOTA Inspire Conference in the future.