Cardiologist Rebecca Allison Announced As President Of Gay and Lesbian Medical Association

Posted: 30th Sep 2009 Author: Michelle PennycloseAuthor: Michelle Penny Name:
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CIGNA cardiologist Rebecca Allison has been announced as the new President of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, which will meet this week in Washington DC for it’s 27th Annual Conference, where they will focus on the important, but often ignored topic of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender health.

Having held the position of President Elect for the last year, Dr Allison is no stranger to the GLMA, and has some impressive credentials behind her, having received a bachelor’s of science degree from the University of Mississippi in Oxford, and her medical degree magna cum laude from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson.  Following this ,she went on to complete her postgraduate training at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, and the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and is board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases, as well as being a  Fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Cardiology.

In terms of her history concerning LGBT health, Dr. Allison has, since 2004, served on the GLMA board of directors, as well as chairing its Education committee. Alongside this, she has chaired the American Medical Association’s Advisory Committee on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Issues,  is a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, and has authored chapters on gender identity, as well as speaking at the American Psychiatric Association’s 2009 annual conference, about gender identity disorder and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

 Dr. Jeff Kang, the CIGNA’s chief medical officer, spoke of how he felt that Allison was the woman for the role stating “Becky Allison is not only an outstanding physician, she’s also completely dedicated to improving the health of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, and I congratulate her on becoming GLMA president.”