John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital

Health Systems Kaleida Health

John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital

501(c)(3)

818 Ellicott St.
Buffalo, NY

2

Total Sex Change Patients

info icon Total unique children who underwent gender-affirming procedures or hormone/puberty blocker therapy.
0

Total Surgery Patients

info icon Total unique children who underwent gender-affirming surgical procedures.
2

Total Hormone and Puberty Blocker Patients

info icon Total unique children who were prescribed puberty blockers or received gender-affirming hormone therapy.
11

Total Prescriptions Written

info icon Total number of scripts for puberty blockers or gender-affirming hormones.
$1,001

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.

John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital, located in Buffalo, New York, is part of the Kaleida Health Network, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit health system. This hospital lists “gender dysphoria” as a subspecialty, but does not state any specific services offered. Claims data confirm that John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital billed for hormone therapy for minors. Other entities within the Kaleida Health network have also 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

John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital’s Division of Adolescent Medicine counts “gender dysphoria” among its subspecialty services.

In August 2021, the hospital’s Dr. Sarah Berga, Medical Director of the OB/GYN and Women’s Health Program Development, spoke in an interview about hormone therapy. When asked how patients can afford “gender-affirming care,” Berga stated that the “costs of hormone therapy” are “forever,” can be “quite expensive” and “some of the safest medications are actually some of the most expensive medications.”

In February 2024, Berga stated that “if you do a study in men and then do another study in women you will not have learned anything about sex differences.”

Sex Change Treatments Offered

Division of Adolescent Medicine

The Division of Adolescent Medicine counts “gender dysphoria” among its subspecialty services. It sees adolescents and young adults, ages 12 to 30 years old. 

In August 2021, Dr. Sarah Berga, Medical Director Of OB/GYN and Women’s Health Program Development, spoke in an interview about hormone therapy.

“Kaleida Health’s Medically Speaking series aims to share the vast knowledge of our clinical experts with the community via social media, especially those with decreased accessibility to important health-related information. Gender-affirming Hormone Therapy aims to align the characteristics of an individual with their gender identity. Dr. Sarah Berga, medical director of OB/GYN and Women’s Health Program Development at Oishei Children’s Hospital, discusses some of the barriers individuals face in accessing treatment and explains why the development of resources in this growing specialty area is important.”

During the interview, when asked how patients can afford “gender-affirming care,” Berga stated that the “costs of hormone therapy” are “forever,” can be “quite expensive” and “some of the safest medications are actually some of the most expensive medications;” ultimately it is a “challenge for patients and physicians to do the right thing.”

 

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
Stephen J. Turkovich, MD President N/A
Christina Mills, BSN, MBA, RN, CNOR Chief Nursing Officer N/A
Pamela Trevino, PhD, RN Chief Quality and Safety Officer N/A
Jessica Mabie, MHA Chief Operating Officer N/A
Dori Marshall, MD Chief Medical Officer N/A

The current leadership/titles are based on the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital leadership website. 

NOTE: None found. The Board of Directors for the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital Foundation may be found here. The Board of Directors for Kaleida Health in 2022 may be found here.

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