A national LGBTQ rights organization has suspended two Dallas-based hospitals from its healthcare inclusivity scoring system after the two facilities shut a medical program for transgender children to new patients, The Dallas Morning News reported Feb. 10.
GENECIS — which stood for Gender Education and Care, Interdisciplinary Support — was the name of the acclaimed seven-year program offered to transgender and gender-diverse young people, providing them with mental health services and hormone therapy. Children's Medical Center Dallas and UT Southwestern Medical Center closed puberty suppression and hormone therapy services to new pediatric patients in November.
The move led the Human Rights Campaign to remove both hospitals from its healthcare quality index and withdraw their top-performer designations, citing the closure of the program and lack of communication around it.
"There's a lot of fear and confusion about being able to access this care and a lack of clarity from the institutions about what care is being provided," Tari Hanneman, director of the HRC Foundation Health and Aging Program, told The Dallas Morning News.
On Feb. 9, the hospitals penned a joint letter saying they "remain committed to providing care for and a welcoming environment for everyone, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or condition, and to ensuring our patients receive the care they need. The safety and privacy of our patients is our top priority."