Co-Chairs: James M. Beck, MD, VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Denver, CO and Dona J. Upson, MD, MA, New Mexico VA Health Care System, Albuquerque, NM.

LGBTQIA+ Interest Group Objectives:

The goal of the LGBTQIA+ Interest GroupInterest Group is to create a forum within the ATS membership that will address the medical and social needs of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer + Allies (LGBTQ+), community and their allies in relation to the work of the ATS.

Selected issues of note that could be addressed by this Interest Group include:

• The significantly higher number of LGBTQIA+ Interest Group people who use tobacco
• Issues of access to care
• Visitation rights to patients by their life partners in hospital and clinic settings
• Negotiating fellowships/practice groups, etc.

The LGBTQIA+ Interest Group was formed in 2010 to recognize the LGBTQ+ community within the ATS.  The group meets annually at the ATS International Conference with a social gathering which allows members to network and interact in an informal and open environment.  We hope this affords junior members an opportunity for mentorship and advice while facilitating potential collaborations amongst all in the group.

If you would like to join our interest group or have an idea you wish to have the group consider, please email your information to the Assembly Department at atsassembly@thoracic.org. We look forward to hearing from you and welcoming you to the group!

Reach Out

We would like to offer our assistance for other LGBTQIA+ Interest Group members who would like some advice or just a friendly fellow ATS member to share experiences.  The following LGBTQIA+ Interest Group members have offered to be listed on this site as a potential mentor/peer support person.

James M. Beck, M.D
Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine
Interests: My clinical and research interests focus on pulmonary infections in immunocompromised hosts. I conduct translational research on the lung microbiome, participating in an NIH project to compare the lung and oral microbiomes in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected individuals. I am an active participant in the Section on Medical Education, and have been a long-time member of the PI-TB Assembly.  I previously served as Chair of the International Conference Committee and the Education Committee, and currently serve as Chair of the Planning and Evaluation Committee.
Email:  james.beck@ucdenver.edu

William A. Bulman, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center
Interests:  My main clinical interest is Interventional Pulmonology, particularly the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer.  I am the Director of Bronchoscopy for New York Presbyterian Hospital Columbia, and I serve as Associate Program Director for Columbia’s Pulmonary and Critical Care fellowship program.
Email: wab10@columbia.edu

M. Bradley Drummond, MD MHS
Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Interests: My clinical interests focus on the diagnosis and management of obstructive lung diseases such as asthma and COPD. I conduct clinical and translational research on the epidemiology of chronic lung diseases in populations with a history of injection drug use and HIV infection. I also have a research interest in the emerging technology of electronic cigarettes. I have been an ATS member since my first fellowship year.
Email: mdrummo3@jhmi.edu

Michelle Harkins, MD, FCCP
Professor of Medicine at University of New Mexico
Interests:  I am the co-director of our Adult Asthma Clinic doing both outpatient clinic and clinical research and attend on both the ICU and Pulmonary inpatient services.  I have been an ATS member since my first year as a fellow.  Currently, I serve as the MICU director at UNM Hospital and the Chief of our Division.
Email: Mharkins@salud.unm.edu

Aluko A. Hope M.D., M.S.C.E.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Division of Critical Care Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Montefiore Medical Center
Interest:  I have an interest in integrating geriatric and palliative care principles into critical care. I teach communication skills, bioethics and medical humanities in the Division of Critical Care and at Einstein College of Medicine. My clinical research focuses on approaches for identifying older adults at high risk of poor outcomes after ICU treatment.  In my spare time, I read poetry and play tennis.
Email: aluko.hope@gmail.com

Charles A. Read, MD, FCCP
Professor of Medicine & Surgery
Vice Chair, Inpatient Operations
Director of Critical Care
Medstar-Georgetown University Medical Center
Interest:  I have a strong interest in education having been a program director for 17 years before recently stepping down.  I also built the Interventional Pulmonary Program and the Adult Critical Care Service. My passion is as a foodie.
Email: Readca@gunet.georgetown.edu

Patient Care Resources

We hope to also serve as a resource for helpful information regarding both career development and care for patients who are LGBTQIA+. We have included some useful information below, offered by third-party organizations not affiliated with the ATS. Please let us know if you have specific questions or other content you think would be valuable to have on this site.

• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health Disparities
• The Transgender Life: what to know, say and understand
• Transgender Health Care Card  
• Gay Men’s Health Care Card 
• Lesbian Health Care Card 
• Healthcare Equality Index

HealthCare related to LGBTQIA+ Resources

• LGBT Advisory Committee - American Medical Association
• American Medical Student Association’s (AMSA) Gender and Sexuality Page
• National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
• GLMA
• The National LGBT Health Education Center