Vanderbilt clarifies gender-affirming care policies amid conservative attacks

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is denying social media claims that employees were punished for objecting to its gender-affirming treatment program and some treatments were being used as money-making schemes after Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and other members of the state's GOP leadership blasted the clinic this week.

A number of Republican politicians and religious leaders posted on Twitter Tuesday and Wednesday to criticize Vanderbilt, one of the nation's leading health centers, and called for investigations and new legislation banning gender-affirming treatments for minors.

Gov. Bill Lee said in a statement to The Tennessean that Vanderbilt's "pediatric transgender clinic" raised "serious moral, ethical and legal concerns," adding an investigation into the clinic would be necessary.

Casey Sellers, Lee's communications director, said the governor's office had shared its concerns with state Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti.

"We are aware of allegations of illegal conduct at the Clinic for Transgender Health at Vanderbilt University Medical Center," a statement from Skrmetti's office read. "General Skrmetti will use the full scope of his authority to ensure compliance with Tennessee law."

In a statement Wednesday morning, Vanderbilt said employees are allowed to abstain from participating in medical care they find "morally objectionable," including treatments related to transgender care, and that parental consent is required to treat a minor "for issues related to transgender care."  

"VUMC began its Transgender Health Clinic because transgender individuals are a high-risk population for mental and physical health issues and have been consistently underserved by the U.S. health system," the statement reads, in part. "We have been and will continue to be committed to providing family-centered care to all adolescents in compliance with state law and in line with professional practice standards and guidance established by medical specialty societies."

Vanderbilt was responding to a number of claims and videos posted on Twitter by Matt Walsh, a contributor to The Daily Wire.

Vanderbilt's transgender health clinic and gender-affirming surgery web pages were down Wednesday and contained no information. Hospital representatives did not immediately respond to questions about its standards of care for providing gender-affirming care to minors.

Medical associations, such as the American Medical Association and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), have set standards for such care, which include parental consent and a comprehensive psychological evaluation. There must also be a well-documented history of gender dysphoria.

The AMA has cautioned states against banning gender-affirming procedures involving minors, saying: "We believe this legislation represents a dangerous governmental intrusion into the practice of medicine and will be detrimental to the health of transgender children across the country."

Boston Children's Hospital has faced similar criticism of its gender-affirming program. The result has been protests and threats of violence against the hospital and its staff. Federal authorities last week arrested a woman who allegedly called in a bomb threat against the institution, according to USA TODAY.

Tennessean reporter Adam Friedman contributed to this report.

Frank Gluck is the health care reporter for The Tennessean. He can be reached at fgluck@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter at @FrankGluck.

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