Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU
Health Systems VCU HealthChildren’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU
Non-profit
1000 E. Broad St.
Richmond, VA
Total Sex Change Patients
Total unique children who underwent gender-affirming procedures or hormone/puberty blocker therapy.
Total Surgery Patients
Total unique children who underwent gender-affirming surgical procedures.
Total Hormone and Puberty Blocker Patients
Total unique children who were prescribed puberty blockers or received gender-affirming hormone therapy.
Total Prescriptions Written
Total number of scripts for puberty blockers or gender-affirming hormones.
Total Submitted Charges
Total amount submitted by providers or pharmacies to insurance for services, treatments, or prescriptions, before any reviews or adjustments. Includes medical procedures and prescription charges but may not reflect the final amount after negotiations.
The Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR), part of VCU Health, offers sex change services to minors including medical evaluations, medical hormone management, mental health care, and “letters of medical necessity to address hormone treatment, school issues and/or surgery (as needed).” Claims data confirms that the Children’s Hospital of Richmond billed for puberty blockers and hormone therapy for minors. Claims data also confirms that other entities within the broader VCU health system billed for puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and sex change surgeries for minors.
For more information on the specific procedure and diagnostic codes and other methodology used to make these determination, read our white paper here.
Key Findings
CHoR’s website lists out a variety of “gender-affirming care” services, including medical evaluations, medical hormone management, mental health care, and “letters of medical necessity to address hormone treatment, school issues and/or surgery (as needed).”
CHoR Adolescent Medicine Specialist An Pham, MD offers sex change treatments and has published scholarly articles, including:
- How are transgender and gender nonconforming youth affected by the news? A qualitative study
- A case series on disordered eating among transgender youth with autism spectrum disorder
- Understanding the complex relationship between one’s body, eating, exercise, and gender-affirming medical care among transgender and nonbinary adolescents and young adults
A full list of Dr. Pham’s research can be found here.
In a 2022 video, Dr. Pham explains “why flexibility and understanding are key to supporting young people and helping them thrive.”
In another 2022 video, Dr. Pham “discusses the important role of providing gender affirming care to children, and dispels some often cited myths about what that care actually includes.”
Sex Change Treatments Offered
Transgender Care at CHoR
“Our specialists in Endocrinology and Adolescent Medicine work together to provide well-rounded care for children and teens in a gender-friendly environment.“
Sex change treatments offered:
- Medical evaluation
- Medical hormone management
- Prescription medications
- Mental health care
- Speech therapy
- Letters of medical necessity to address hormone treatment, school issues and/or surgery (as needed)
- Referrals to other medical and surgical specialists (as needed)
- Referrals to peer and family support groups
- Educational materials
CHoR encourages parents to “to be at least neutral instead of rejecting” gender identity issues regarding their children.
“Family acceptance is highly important because research has demonstrated it protects against depression, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, self-harm, drug abuse and risky sexual behavior. Family rejection is associated with all of these problems in transgender youth. When parents state they cannot be 100 percent accepting of a child’s gender identity, I encourage them to be at least neutral instead of rejecting. However, what’s best for a child, and what we recommend, is recognizing that individuals know their gender identity and need to be accepted for who they are. In other words: having a gender-affirming perspective. This acceptance and support from family, friends and peers is so important for mental health and for helping children and teens develop to their fullest potential.”
Definitions
SEX CHANGE PATIENTS: Total unique children who underwent “gender-affirming” surgical procedures or hormone/puberty blocker therapy.
TOTAL SURGERY PATIENTS: Total unique children who underwent “gender-affirming” surgical procedures.
TOTAL HORMONE AND PUBERTY BLOCKERS PATIENTS: Total unique children who were prescribed puberty blockers or received gender-affirming hormone therapy.
TOTAL PRESCRIPTIONS WRITTEN: Total number of prescriptions written by a provider for puberty blockers or gender-affirming hormones for children.
TOTAL SUBMITTED CHARGES: This is the initial amount a healthcare provider or pharmacy submits to the insurance company for a specific service, treatment, or prescription before the insurance company reviews and adjusts the payment. This value includes both the pharmacy-submitted cost of prescription drug claims and the line-item charges associated with medical procedures. Please note that this amount does not necessarily reflect the full cost of the procedure or prescription, as it is subject to adjustments and negotiations by the insurance company.
Leadership
Executive Leadership
| Name | Title | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Elias Neujahr, MHA, MBA | President | N/A |
| Shari Barkin, MD, MSHS | Physician-in-chief, CHoR | N/A |
| Ellen Derry, DNP, NEA-BC, NPD-BC | Associate chief nursing officer | N/A |
| C.D. Anthony Herndon, MD | Surgeon-in-chief | N/A |
| David A. Lanning, MD, PhD | Associate chief medical officer | N/A |
The current leadership/titles are based on the CHoR Executive Leadership website.
In the News
Stay up to date with the latest news and updates.
Gender-affirming care from Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU
04/21/2022“Dr. An Pham, an adolescent medicine specialist with Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, is here to explain why flexibility…
Read More →"Let's Talk About Sex...ahem...I mean Gender" w/Dr. An Pham
06/28/2022“Dr. Pham discusses the important role of providing gender affirming care to children, and dispels some often cited myths about…
Read More →