Morissa Ladinsky, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics, has been awarded the senior faculty 2022 Dean’s Excellence Award for Diversity Enhancement.
Ladinsky earned her medical degree and completed her pediatric residency training at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. She then worked as a general pediatrician before completing training in a general academic pediatrics and program development fellowship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Md. Prior to joining UAB in 2015, Ladinsky worked in the Division of General and Community Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
Throughout her career, Ladinsky has been a committed advocate for marginalized patients. Most recently, she has played a key part in advocating for transgender youth in Alabama. During her time at UAB, she has worked to develop and lead the Pediatric Gender Health Clinic, the only comprehensive pediatric gender clinic in the state. She works continuously to improve evidence-based healthcare services for gender-diverse youth by raising awareness through media appearances, op-eds, and testifying at legislative hearings.
As well as providing supportive clinical care for her patients, Ladinsky fiercely advocates for LGBT healthcare outside of the clinic. She serves on many national, statewide, and local councils and committees in support of LGBT healthcare, including the Mayor’s LGBTQ Advisory Board and the American Academy of Pediatrics, Section on LGBTQ Health and Wellness.
In addition to her clinical and advocacy work for transgender youth, Ladinsky has also worked to provide diverse training and education opportunities for residents and medical students. She was instrumental in developing an innovative curriculum for medical students and residents related to LGBT healthcare and was recognized for her work on developing a transgender standardized patient approach. Through the Department of Pediatrics, she has worked with the residency program and other faculty to create the Health Equity Scholars Program to educate and train residents to practice healthcare with a culturally responsive and health equity lens.
“Dr. Ladinsky is a tireless advocate for transgender youth in Alabama and across the nation,” said Tina Simpson, M.D., MPH, vice chair for Faculty Development in the Department of Pediatrics. “With her leadership, the Pediatric Gender Health Clinic team has helped more than 200 youth and their families receive evidence-based, gender-affirming care. I deeply admire the passion and compassion that Dr. Ladinsky brings to her clinical and advocacy work. This award is well-deserved recognition for her hard work and commitment.”