The Transgender Health Collaborative is a network of researchers and clinicians working with the transgender community throughout Saint Louis University and partner organizations. The collaborative was established in 2020 to promote the health of the transgender and genderqueer community through clinical services, research and clinical education.
About the Collaborative
The Transgender Health Collaborative includes faculty across a variety of disciplines, including: endocrinology, family medicine, medical family therapy, medical laboratory science, nutrition and dietetics and speech-language pathology.
The goals of the collaborative are to:
- Advance respectful, inclusive, and patient-centered care for the transgender community
- Promote research productivity related to transgender health
- Train future healthcare professionals to be competent in gender-inclusive practices through clinical education
Their guiding principles include meaningful engagement with the transgender community; an interdisciplinary approach to research and clinical practice; partnership with on-campus and community-based organizations; Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam; Cura Personalis.
For more information about the Transgender Health Collaborative, contact Nutrition and Dietetics Assistant Professor Whitney Linsenmeyer, Ph.D., RD, LD (she/her) at whitney.linsenmeyer@health.slu.edu.
Transgender Health Collaborative Strategic Map
Transgender Health Collaborative Working Group Members
A Catholic, Jesuit Approach to Inclusive Education
The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) recently offered a paper that reflects on the compassionate accompaniment of individuals on our campuses with diverse gender identities. SLU’s Transgender Healthcare Collaborative seeks to align with AJCU’s guidance in our purpose and practice.
Clinical Services Offered
The clinic provides services related to speech, language and hearing, including voice therapy for gender-diverse patients. As part of the speech, language and hearing sciences graduate program, the Reinert clinic is a training site where clients are seen by student-clinicians under the supervision of a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist. There is no fee charged to clients for services.
McGannon Hall Suite 32
3750 Lindell Blvd.
St. Louis MO 63110
Provider: Emily Buxbaum, M.S., CCC-SLP
To make an appointment: Call 314-977-3365 and request an appointment with Emily Buxbaum.
Michael Thomure, M.D., is a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and surgeon who provides healthcare for transgender patients at SLUCare’s obstetrics, hynecology and women's health.
1031 Bellevue Ave, Suite 400, St. Louis, MO 63117
Provider: Michael Thomure, M.D.
To make an appointment: Call 314-977-7455 and request Dr. Thomure.
The mission of the Family Care Health Center is to provide affordable and accessible comprehensive primary care services to anyone, with an emphasis on the medically underserved. No health insurance is required. Dr. Theresa Drallmeier provides health care for transgender patients.
401 Holly Hills Ave, St. Louis, MO 63111
Provider: Theresa Drallmeier, M.D.
To make an appointment: Call 314-353-5190 and request Dr. Drallmeier.
The Queer and Trans Wellness Clinic @ SLU seeks to be a safe haven and advocate with the LGBTQIA+ community of Missouri. We strive to promote flourishing for LGBTQIA+ people that builds a life and world worth living in through psychotherapy services. These services include individual, couple, family and group therapy for queer and trans people of all ages. The cost of services are based on a sliding scale, down to $10 per session. Services are provided by graduate students in the family therapy, clinical psychology, and social work graduate programs at Saint Louis University in the Center for Counseling and Family Therapy.
Queer and Trans Wellness Clinic @ SLU
Center for Counseling and Family Therapy
3700 Lindell Blvd, Morrissey Hall, Suite 1100, St. Louis, MO 63108
Supervisor: Katie Heiden-Rootes, Ph.D., LMFT
To make an appointment: Call 314-977-2505 and request The QT Clinic.
The Interprofessional Transgender Health Education Day
The Interprofessional Transgender Health Education Day (ITHED) provides foundational knowledge on transgender health and gender-inclusive communication for students in clinical education or training programs at Saint Louis University. Students from the medical school, medical family therapy program, dietetic interns, speech language and hearing sciences program, physician assistant program, and occupational therapy program participated, among others. This initiative is supported by ASAHP and the Saint Louis University 1818 grant.
The 2023 ITHED will take place in October. For more information, contact Whitney Linsenmeyer at whitney.linsenmeyer@health.slu.edu.
Selected Publications
Nutrition and exercise as a 'source of empowerment': A narrative inquiry of transgender men
The evolution of a FtM transgender male’s relationship with food and exercise: A narrative inquiry
Under Review
Heiden-Rootes, K., Benson, K., Carmichael, A., & Capshaw, E. (under review). Families build resilient futures for trans youth: Conceptualizing trans youth mental health within a family resilience framework. Journal of Family Theory & Review.
Heiden-Rootes, K., Meyer, D., Sledge, R., Linsenmeyer, W., Drallmeier, T., & Davis, B. (under review). “She’s my unicorn doctor”: Experiences in healthcare for transgender adults seeking hormone therapy. Journal of Homosexuality.
Linsenmeyer W, Stiles D, Drallmeier T, Heiden-Rootes K, Rahman R, Buxbaum E, Gombos B, Harris N, Johnson S, Lantz C, Otte A, Rosen W, Lillioja S. (under review). Advancing inclusion of transgender and gender diverse identities in clinical education: The Interprofessional Transgender Health Education Day. Journal of Allied Health.
Funding
Missouri Foundation for Health. Improving the Health and Safety of Missouri Transgender and Queer Youth. 2020-2022. Primary Investigator: Katie Heiden-Rootes, PhD, LMFT. Research Manager: Whitney Linsenmeyer, PhD, RD, LD.
Saint Louis University, Reinert Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning. Advancing Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Diverse Identities in Clinical Education. 2021-2022. Project Leader: Whitney Linsenmeyer, PhD, RD, LD. Project Members: Katie Heiden-Rootes, PhD, LMFT, Theresa Drallmeier, MD, Rabia Rahman, PhD, RD, LD, Emily Buxbaum, MS, CCC-SLP.
Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions, Interprofessional Innovation Grant Program. Advancing Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Diverse Identities in Clinical Education: The Interprofessional Transgender Health Education Day. 2021-2022. Research Team: Whitney Linsenmeyer, PhD, RD, LD, Katie Heiden-Rootes, PhD, LMFT, Theresa Drallmeier, MD, Rabia Rahman, PhD, RD, LD, Emily Buxbaum, MS, CCC-SLP.
Saint Louis University, Applied Health Sciences Research Grant Program. Transgender Health Collaborative. 2019-2020. Research Team: Whitney Linsenmeyer, PhD, RD, LD, Katie Heiden-Rootes, PhD, LMFT, Tim Randolph, PhD, MT, Michael Thomure, MD, Chris Lewis, MD.
BarBend. The TRANSforming Power of Nutrition and Strength Sports and Nutrition. Research Team: Whitney Linsenmeyer, PhD, RD, LD, Bari Glassman.
Saint Louis University, 1818 Grant. Advancing Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Diverse Identities in Clinical Education. 2022-2023. Project Team: Jae Seevers, Whitney Linsenmeyer, Katie Heiden-Rootes, Emily Buxbaum, Theresa Drallmeier, Rabia Rahman.
Resources
Nutrition content is free to download, print and share:
Nutrition Guidance for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Individuals
Toolkit:
Advancing Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Diverse Identities in Clinical Education Toolkit (coming summer 2022)
Media
Saint Louis University to Host Interprofessional Transgender Health Education Day
BarBend Awards Research Grant to Study Strength Training and Nutrition in Transgender Community
SLU Works with Community Organizations to Create Toolkit for Transgender Health Education