Children’s National Medical Center
Health Systems Children's NationalChildren’s National Medical Center
501(c)(3)
111 Michigan Ave. NW
Washington, DC
Total Sex Change Patients
Total Surgery Patients
Total Hormone and Puberty Blocker Patients
Total Prescriptions Written
Total Submitted Charges
Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit hospital in Washington, D.C. CNMC runs a Gender Development Program that works with “gender exploring, gender non-conforming, gender dysphoric, gender non-binary, transgender and gender-questioning young people.” Services include puberty blockers, hormone therapy, mental health therapy, and sex change surgeries for minors. CNMC also runs the Gender and Autism Program which “helps autistic/neurodivergent gender-expansive youth and their families through our clinical services and clinical research initiatives.” CNMC also operates the Youth Pride Clinic, which “provides primary and specialty care services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning/queer (LGBTQ) patients throughout the greater Washington, D.C. region.” Claims data confirms that Children’s National Medical Center 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
The Gender and Autism Program at CNMC “helps autistic/neurodivergent gender-expansive youth and their families through our clinical services and clinical research initiatives.” The program works with young people between the ages of three to 25 years old. The team includes John F. Strang, PsyD, a neuropsychologist; and Laura Marie Willing, MD, a psychiatrist.
The Gender Development Program is “a multidisciplinary team of specialists who work in the assessment and broad care needs of youth on the gender spectrum and their families.” The program works with “gender exploring, gender non-conforming, gender dysphoric, gender non-binary, transgender and gender-questioning young people, and we see children and adolescents of all ages.” The Gender Development Program team includes three gender development specialists: David Charles Call, MD; Veronica Gomez-Lobo, MD; and Strang.
In March 2014, Strang published a study that found that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were more likely to exhibit “gender variance”, the wish to be the other gender, than children with no neurodevelopmental disorder, or a medical neurodevelopmental disorder such as epilepsy or neurofibromatosis.
In January 2023, Strang developed a self-report tool called “The Gender Self-Report” as a way “to characterize the gender of research participants beyond their binary designated sex at birth.”
The Gender Development Program is currently conducting a study on “the relationship between the experience of being transgender, gender exploring or gender non-binary in youth and behavioral and biological measures of gender.”
Per the hospital’s website, the Youth Pride Clinic “provides primary and specialty care services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning/queer (LGBTQ) patients throughout the greater Washington, D.C., region.” The clinic is led by Lawrence D’Angelo, MD, MPH, reportedly “one of the nation’s foremost specialists in adolescent medicine.”
CNMC publishes newsletters and articles related to child health under the name “Rise and Shine.” A Rise and Shine article, published in June 2021, detailed LGBTQIA+ terminology and promoted the Youth Pride Clinic, Gender Development Program, and other resources.
Another Rise and Shine article, published in June 2022, examined differentiating between sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.
In a March 2023 letter to former CNMC CEO Kurt Newman, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) expressed concern that the Youth Pride Clinic does not mention the role of parental consent in its protocols and policies related to the administering of cross-sex hormones and surgeries for children. The letter also seeks “reports or inquiries” that hospital staff members have made to Child Protective Services if a parent objects to “medical interventions that would hormonally or surgically transition his or her child.”
Sex Change Treatments Offered
The Gender and Autism Program
The program “helps autistic/neurodivergent gender-expansive youth and their families through our clinical services and clinical research initiatives” and works with young people between the ages of three to 25 years old.
The team includes John F. Strang, PsyD, a neuropsychologist; and Laura Marie Willing, MD, a psychiatrist.
The Gender and Autism Program has a research component where they “developed initial clinical guidelines for the support of gender spectrum autism spectrum youth.”
“The guidelines emphasize:
- The importance of assessing for autism among gender-diverse youth, as well as assessing gender-related needs in youth on the autism spectrum.
- The broad range of gender-related outcomes for youth with co-occurring autism and gender diversity. Some do ultimately identify as transgender, and there are other possible outcomes as well.
- The need for a more extended period of assessment for some of these youth.”
“Pediatric gender and autism care at Children’s National is accessible via telehealth.”
The Gender Development Program
The program has “a multidisciplinary team of specialists who work in the assessment and broad care needs of youth on the gender spectrum and their families.” The program works with “gender exploring, gender non-conforming, gender dysphoric, gender non-binary, transgender and gender-questioning young people, and we see children and adolescents of all ages.”
The program collaborates with other departments throughout CNMC to provide “care” to children with gender development needs.
The Gender Development Program team includes three gender development specialists: David Charles Call, MD; Veronica Gomez-Lobo, MD; and Strang.
Drs. Call and Strang have authored several publications in which they conduct research on the correlation between children with gender dysphoria and autism.
The Youth Pride Clinic
The clinic provides primary and specialty care services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning/queer (LGBTQ) patients throughout the greater Washington, D.C., region.” It also “provides affordable, high-quality health and wellness care, including physicals, hormonal treatment and mental health counseling for transgender and gender-nonconforming youth.”
The clinic follows the standards of care established by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).
The clinic is led by Lawrence D’Angelo, MD, MPH, reportedly “one of the nation’s foremost specialists in adolescent medicine.”
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 |
---|---|---|
Michelle Riley-Brown, MHA, FACHE | President & CEO | N/A |
Catherine Bollard, MD, MBCHB | Interim Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer | N/A |
Anthony Sandler, MD | Senior Vice President and Surgeon-in-Chief | N/A |
Kolaleh Eskandanian, PhD, MBA, PMP | Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer Chief Research Information Officer | N/A |
Mihailo Kaplarevic, PhD | Chief Research Information Officer | N/A |
Mary Anne Hilliard | EVP & Chief Legal Officer | $851,023 |
Aldwin Lindsay | EVP & CFO | $901,152 |
Kathleen Chavanu Gorman | Chief Operating Officer | $1,264,501 |
Matthew Macvey | Chief Info Officer | $581,015 |
David Wessel, MD | Chief Medical Officer | $1,153,347 |
Michelle M McGuire | Chief Strategy Officer | $727,088 |
The current leadership/titles are based on the Children’s National Medical leadership website, but the compensation information is from Children’s National Medical Center 2021 Form 990, filed 5/10/23.
Compensation reflects the tax year beginning July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2022.
Board of Trustees
Name | Title | Compensation |
---|---|---|
Horacio Rozanski | Chairman | $0 |
Gregory A O’Dell | Vice Chair | $0 |
Ramanarayan V Potarazu | Treasurer | $0 |
The current leadership/titles are based on the Children’s National Medical board of directors website, but the compensation information is from Children’s National Medical Center 2021 Form 990, filed 5/10/23.
Compensation reflects the tax year beginning July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2022.
CNMC appears to elect its Board of Directors but it is unclear how often elections are held and how long terms may last (if any).
In the News
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Virginia Foxx demands answers from DC children’s hospital over gender…
03/21/2023In a March 2023 letter to former CNMC CEO Kurt Newman, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) expressed concern that the youth…
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01/31/2023In January 2023, Dr. Strang developed a self-report tool called "The Gender Self-Report" as a “say to characterize the gender…
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