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Change Agent: JoAnne Keatley - Championing Equity in Care for the Transgender Community

Change Agents

/CHānj/ /‘ājənt/

noun
One who acts as a catalyst for change.

Change Agents are everyday people who do small things that have significant impact. They are cultivators who plant seeds in our lives (knowingly or unknowingly). Their presence nurtures and molds us every day, giving shape to the environment in which we work. They are fueled by their own passion to contribute, and thus, incite passion in others. They are the risk takers; the visionaries who see possibilities when others see obstacles. They are catalysts that make the Game Changing moments of an organization possible.

change

/CHānj/

verb

  • make or become different
  • to alter the terms or transform entirely
  • arrive at a fresh phase; become new

noun

  • a new or refreshingly different experience

agent

/‘ājənt/

noun

  • a person who acts on behalf of another
  • one who takes an active role or produces a specified effect
  • a doer of an action
Do you know a change agent?
JoAnne Keatley

"Trans people are like everyone else. They are beautiful, intelligent and accomplished, and they can do that much more if they are provided with the same love and support that every human being deserves."
– JoAnne Keatley

We chose to spotlight phenomenal women in the month of March in in honor of Women’s History Month. It’s the perfect time to share the inspiring story of one heroic woman who is positively impacting the lives of so many transgender people nationally and around the world by promoting equal access in health care.

In this interview with JoAnne Keatley, the leading voice in trans health program design and research, we learn of her experiences as a transgender woman and Mexican émigré, and hear her passion for the lifesaving work she is so committed to with trans communities.

"There continues to be a big need in transgender communities of color that’s largely unmet,” Ms. Keatley points out. “And we could be doing a much better job of addressing those needs…throughout this country."

Join us to hear more from this innovator when she comes to NIH to moderate our Pride panel discussion "Making Our Stories Count" this June 28th! Check our Pride page for more details to come, or contact Bali White, Strategist, Sexual & Gender Minority Portfolio, at bali.white@nih.gov.

Read the entire article.

Do you have a story idea for us? Do you want to submit a guest blog? If it's about equity, diversity, or inclusion, please submit to edi.stories@nih.gov.

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