Angry Citizens Are Harassing Hospitals Over Care for Transgender Youth. Can Urgent Care Help?

A newly published report from Becker’s Hospital Review reveals that at least one healthcare facility in Washington, DC has been the recipient of angry phone calls and social media posts due to either misinformation or disinformation concerning the care it provides to transgender young people. The controversy is based on a recording posted to the Twitter account of an activist group, in which two Children’s National hospital telephone operators discuss the notion that the staff there “performs gender-affirming hysterectomies on minors.” The hospital affirmed with Becker’s that the information is patently false, and emphasized that the two individuals recorded in conversation are not clinicians and have no role in setting or carrying out policy at Children’s National. Boston Children’s Gender Multispecialty Service Program also reported that it has been the target of similar erroneous outrage. Urgent care could be a likely destination for youth who do not feel safe reporting to a large, urban hospital for treatment. JUCM published an article not too long ago that could help your team understand the nuances and particular concerns related to such patients. You can read Approach to the Transgender Adolescent and Specific Health Considerations in our archive right now.