Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Health Systems Children's Hospital of Wisconsin

Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

501(c)(3)

891 W. Connell Ct.
Milwaukee, WI

18

Total Sex Change Patients

info icon Total unique children who underwent gender-affirming procedures or hormone/puberty blocker therapy.
6

Total Surgery Patients

info icon Total unique children who underwent gender-affirming surgical procedures.
12

Total Hormone and Puberty Blocker Patients

info icon Total unique children who were prescribed puberty blockers or received gender-affirming hormone therapy.
50

Total Prescriptions Written

info icon Total number of scripts for puberty blockers or gender-affirming hormones.
$5,743

Total Submitted Charges

info icon 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.

Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin (CHW) is a hospital located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that is part of the nonprofit Children’s Hospital and Health System, and is affiliated with the Medical College of Wisconsin. The hospital maintains a Gender Health Clinic, and offers puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and sex change surgeries for minors. The hospital also notes on its website that its physicians may prescribe puberty blockers to children after their first visit. Moreover, the hospital states that it adheres to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s standards of care. Claims data shows the hospital has billed for 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

The Gender Health Clinic claims to follow guidelines set by the WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health), Endocrine Society, and American Psychological Association. It offers services by medical professionals including pediatric endocrinologists and pediatric health psychologists.

A handout from CHW’s website indicates that hormones are not prescribed or administered on a child’s first visit, but that puberty blockers “may” be prescribed on the first visit.

In October 2022, it was reported that 65% of CHW’s patients at its gender clinic were biologically female. CHW has seen at least 461 patients since 2016.

Investigative reporting by the media outlet Wisconsin Right Now found that patients at CHW’s gender clinic received puberty blockers as young as 10, cross-sex hormones as young as 16, and breast surgeries as young as 15.

Wisconsin Right Now also found that it was likely that CHW had been burying information on its website related to its “gender-affirming” care. “Documents outlining the risks of testosterone and estrogen treatments still appear in Children’s website media file if you search the entire website by keyword in the search bar, but not on the web page for their Gender Health Clinic.”

According to Chalkboard News, several doctors at CHW were “were instrumental in the development and approval of major revisions to the sex ed curriculum” at a Wisconsin school district.

In November 2022, CHW was criticized for hiring trans activist Kate Newendorp as a chaplain.

Sex Change Treatments Offered

Gender Health Clinic

CHW offers sex change treatments through its Gender Health Clinic.

“The Gender Health Clinic is a multidisciplinary clinic focused on children and youth seeking assistance with gender identity development and transition concerns.  Our skilled staff will meet with new patients through age 16 on an individual basis for comprehensive evaluations, mental health consultations and education. The most common care plans include ongoing psychological, emotional or social support. In some cases, our services may include reversible puberty-suppressing hormone therapy, gender-affirming hormone therapy and speech/voice training. Furthermore, we can provide children and adolescents with connections to other resources and support within Children’s Wisconsin and the community.”

The Gender Health Clinic claims to follow guidelines set by the WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health), Endocrine Society, and American Psychological Association. It offers services by medical professionals including pediatric endocrinologists and pediatric health psychologists.

A CHW handout detailing first visits to their Gender Health Clinic states that hormones are not prescribed or administered at that time.

 

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
Peggy Troy President & CEO $1,973,534
Rainer Gedeit, MD Chief Medical Officer $419,145
David Gourlay, MD Surgeon-in-Chief $286,454
Matthew Gray, MD Chief Medical Information Officer N/A
Michael Gutzeit, MD President, Primary Care, Children’s Wisconsin $286,454
Jason Jarzembowski, MD, PhD CEO, Children’s Specialty Group N/A
Nancy Korom, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President $485,573

The current leadership/titles are based on the CHW leadership website, but the compensation information is from the CHW, 2022 Form 990, filed 10/30/23.

Compensation reflects tax year beginning July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2022.

Board of Trustees

Name Title Compensation
Patrick Hammes Chairman $0
Todd Adams Chairman $0
Linda Benfield Vice Chair N/A
Michelle Mettner Secretary $0

The current leadership/titles are based on the CHW board of directors website, but the compensation information is from the CHW, 2022 Form 990, filed 10/30/23.

Compensation reflects tax year beginning July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2022.

In the News

Stay up to date with the latest news and updates.

Reuters

As more transgender children seek medical care, families confront many…

10/06/2022

In October 2022, 65% of CHW's patients at its Gender Clinic were assigned female at birth.

Read More →
Wisconsin Right Now

WRN INVESTIGATES: Wisconsin Hospitals Are Performing Gender Mutilation Surgeries, Hormone…

06/01/2023

According to reporting by Wisconsin Right Now, CHW has been giving puberty blockers to kids as young as 10 and…

Read More →
Chalkboard News

Op-Ed: Establishing a ‘Pronouns to Surgery Pipeline’ in Wisconsin

10/03/2022

Several doctors at CHW were "instrumental in the development and approval of major revisions to the sex ed curriculum" at…

Read More →
The Federalist

Wisconsin Children’s Hospital Is Stacking Its Bench Of Chaplains With…

11/28/2022

In November 2022, CHW was criticized for hiring trans activist Kate Newendorp as a chaplain.

Read More →
PolitiFact

“Kids who don’t even know what day it is or…

11/15/2023

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has claimed that it is possible at CHW for “children as young as three years…

Read More →