The University of Iowa’s community and campus group TransCollaborations is organizing the first Eastern Iowa Transgender Medical Symposium Saturday-Sunday, May 19-20, at University Capitol Centre, 201 S. Clinton St. in Iowa City.

This symposium will help educate local health care providers about how to better serve the transgender community, establish networking opportunities for area providers to begin building a collaborative network of care, increase visibility of transgender health-related issues, and provide resources for providers to increase their knowledge of working with transgender populations.

This event is free and open to the public, but is especially geared toward anyone who works in a health care or wellness setting. Pre-registration, which can be done here, is recommended. The symposium runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday, May 19, and 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Sunday, May 20.

Featured workshops include the following: basic terminology and 101 information; patient experience modules; staff training; and effective models of care. The symposium will also host interactive training sessions to give providers a chance to practice what they learn over the course of the weekend before implementing it within their own practices.

Diagnosing Difference, a documentary film featuring 13 transgender and genderqueer scholars, artists, and activists exploring the impact and implications of the Gender Identity Disorder diagnosis on their lives and communities, will be shown from 4 to 5 p.m., Saturday, May 19, followed by a film discussion. To view the film’s trailer, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9RIP7iR1pI.

For more information about this event, contact Zeke Swim, co-organizer for TransCollaborations, transcollaborations@gmail.com, or at 515-577-6937. To register for the symposium or to view a schedule of events, visit transcollaborations.wordpress.com and click on Upcoming Events.

UI Student Government, the Women’s Resource and Action Center, the Rape Victim Advocacy Program, and University Counseling Services are sponsoring the symposium.

For more information or special accommodations to attend, contact the UI Center for Student Involvement and Leadership in advance at 319-335-3059.