Conference: The Role of Rehabilitation in Caring for Transgender and Gender-Expansive Adults
Transgender and gender-expansive (TG/GE) people are underserved throughout the health care system. Their health outcomes are poorer compared to their peers, with higher comorbidities and impaired access to care. Contributing factors include discrimination against transgender and gender-diverse people, lack of TG/GE education in medical training programs as well as the medical community as a whole, and subsequent lack of knowledge about this population’s unique needs.
This half-day conference will provide the current best practices for the role of rehabilitation in treatment of transgender and gender diverse people. The conference will offer education about terminology, health care statistics, social transition, medical transition, and the benefits and role of rehabilitation to improve quality of life and health status as well as improve outcomes of all medical and nonmedical stages of transitioning.
Conference Overview
Date and Time: March 21, 2026 | 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Cost: $65
Location: Online via livestream
CEUs: 5.0 contact hours (Maryland PT Board and American Occupational Therapy Association approved)
Audience: Physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists and other medical practitioners who provide gender affirming care or who work with transgender and gender-expansive patients.
Topics
- Terminology, demographics and health disparities statistics
- Trauma-informed care
- Best practices and care for TG/GE patients
- Basics of social/medical transition
- Orthopaedic considerations:
- Hypermobility
- Binding/tucking
- After bottom surgery
- Chronic pain in TG/GE patients
- Gender-affirming voice therapy
- Surgical and medical affirming processes
- Role of pelvic floor physical therapy in care for TG/GE patients
- Pelvic floor changes with hormone therapy
- Pelvic floor physical therapy after bottom surgery
- Bathroom anxiety and subsequent pelvic floor considerations
- Occupational therapy considerations
- Care for the forearm graft after phalloplasty
- Rehabilitation after double mastectomy
Presenters
Rachel Pigott, O.T. (She/Her)
Board-Certified Hand Therapist, Certified Lymphedema Therapist
Fan Liang, M.D. (She/Her)
Assistant Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Medical Director at the Center for Transgender and Gender Expansive Health
Keelin Godsey, P.T. (He/Him, They/Them)
Board-Certified Orthopedic Physical Therapist, Board-Certified Sports Physical Therapist, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists
Amanda Greene, P.T. (She/Her)
Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist, Board-Certified Orthopedic Physical Therapist
Madeline Urban, P.T. (She/Her)
Board-Certified Women's Health Specialist
Ashley Davis, S.L.P., M.S. (She/Her, They/Them)
Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Speech Language Pathologist specializing in gender affirming care
Johns Hopkins Medicine PM&R is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. PD activity approval ID# 0000015627. This distance learning-interactive activity is offered at 0.5 CEUs [beginner level, OT category: OT Service Delivery, Professional Issues and Foundational Knowledge. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.