Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital
Health Systems MultiCare Health SystemMary Bridge Children’s Hospital
501(c)(3)
317 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Tacoma, WA
Total Sex Change Patients
Total Surgery Patients
Total Hormone and Puberty Blocker Patients
Total Prescriptions Written
Total Submitted Charges
Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital is a hospital located in Tacoma, Washington, and part of the nonprofit MultiCare health system. The hospital provides puberty blockers and hormone therapy to minors, but does not appear to offer sex change surgeries. Claims data shows the hospital has billed for hormone therapy. Moreover, claims data for the wider MultiCare system shows the system billed for 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
Mary Bridge Children’s offers “gender-affirming health care for children and adolescents” up to age 18. The hospital is “one of just four dedicated gender health clinics for children and youth in Washington.”
Services offered by Mary Bridge Children’s include “includes puberty blockers and hormone therapy.” Hormone therapy is offered to patients under 18.
Mary Bridge Children’s claims to not offer sex change surgeries but does offer referrals to surgeons. The hospital also provides associated services including fertility preservation and documentation change.
Mary Bridge Children’s has handouts promoting chest binding and tucking.
Aytch Denaro, a social worker associated with Mary Bridge Children’s, was the lead author for an article aimed at promoting the “grassroots process of establishing a multidisciplinary gender health clinic.” Denaro has claimed to be proud of providing “gender-affirming care” at Mary Bridge Children’s and that “national studies consistently show that transgender and gender-diverse youth with access to ‘gender-affirming’ care have better health outcomes.”
In December 2023, a report by The Seattle Times claimed demand for “gender-affirming care” at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital had grown more than 1,100 percent since 2015.
In February 2024, a former physician for MultiCare wrote an exposé claiming the hospital group was promoting “affirming care” for all patients with gender dysphoria, including at Mary Bridge Children’s.
In May 2024, a local church stated it would no longer hold a fundraiser for Mary Bridge Children’s unless the hospital repented for performing “gender transition services.”
Sex Change Treatments Offered
Gender Care
Mary Bridge Children’s offers “gender-affirming health care for children and adolescents” up to age 18. The hospital is “one of just four dedicated gender health clinics for children and youth in Washington.”
“The Mary Bridge Children’s Gender Health Clinic is one of just four dedicated gender health clinics for children and youth in Washington, according to Aytch. The are currently no dedicated gender health clinics for adults. But to help address the needs of LGBTQ+ patients, the MultiCare Center for Health Equity and Wellness is developing a list of MultiCare providers who are screened and approved for providing LGBTQ+ affirming care.”
Sex change treatments offered by Mary Bridge Children’s include:
- Puberty blockers
- Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy is offered to patients under 18. They do not perform sex change surgeries, but can provide referrals to a surgeon.
“Our gender-affirming medical treatment includes puberty blockers and hormone therapy. We do not perform surgery at the Gender Health Clinic, but we can provide referrals to surgeons. We will also help you navigate other medical interventions that can help you feel affirmed in your identity.”
Mary Bridge Children’s provides the following resources for sex change treatments:
- Guide for puberty blockers
- Checklist for “gender affirming” hormones
- Guide for feminizing hormones
- Guide for masculinizing hormones
- Options for fertility preservation
- Step-by-step guide for documentation changes
Mary Bridge Children’s has a guideline calling chest binding “a great tool to help those with chest dysphoria.”
“Binding is a great tool to help those with chest dysphoria, and doing it safely helps your body stay healthy!”
Mary Bridge Children’s has a guideline promoting tucking, and claims it “can be necessary and affirming for some.”
“Research on the safety and practice of tucking is very limited and sparse. Tucking can be necessary and affirming for some; however, there is limited information on side effects and how to do it safely. Please supplement this information with your own research and findings to ensure the best results.”
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 |
---|---|---|
William G. “Bill” Robertson | Chief Executive Officer | $2,751,828 |
Florence Chang | President | $2,029,026 |
June Altaras, RN | Executive Vice President & Chief Quality, Safety & Nursing Officer | $1,112,698 |
Bradd Busick | Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer | N/A |
Mark Gary | Senior Vice President and General Counsel | N/A |
Tim Holmes | President, Behavioral Health/Interim President, MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital/Chief Executive, East Pierce, South King & Thurston County Regions | N/A |
Alex Jackson | Senior Vice President & Chief Executive, Inland Northwest and Yakima Regions | $609,539 |
James Lee | Executive Vice President, Population-based Care & Chief Financial Officer | $596,384 |
Tim Lynch | Senior Vice President Chief Administrative Officer | $567,380 |
David O’Brien, MD | Executive Vice President & Chief Physician Officer | $1,095,048 |
Lisa Powell | Senior Vice President, Chief Human Potential Officer | N/A |
Eddie Bratko | President, MultiCare Tacoma General/Allenmore Hospitals & West Pierce & Kitsap Market Leader | N/A |
Tammy Buyok | President, MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital & Yakima Region Market Leader | N/A |
Will Callicoat | President, Capital Medical Center & Thurston County Market Leader | N/A |
Ryan Fix | President, Retail Health | N/A |
Wade Hunt | President, Pulse Heart Institute | N/A |
Jonathan Maner | President, MultiCare Medical Partners | N/A |
Jeff Poltawsky | President & Market Leader, Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network | $667,043 |
Keli Ramsey | President, MultiCare Rockwood Clinic | N/A |
Gregory G. Repetti, III, FACHE | President, MultiCare Inland Northwest Hospitals & Regional Strategic Implementation | N/A |
The current leadership/titles are based on the MultiCare leadership website, but the compensation information is from the MultiCare Health Systems 2022 Form 990, Filed 11/2/23.
Compensation reflects the tax year beginning January 1, 2022, and ending December 31, 2022.
Board of Trustees
Name | Title | Compensation |
---|---|---|
John S. Wiborg | Chair | $0 |
Deedra Smith Walkey | Vice Chair | $0 |
Frank Tombari | Treasurer | $0 |
Sally B. Leighton | Secretary | $0 |
The current leadership/titles are based on the MultiCare board of directors website, but the compensation information is from the MultiCare Health Systems 2022 Form 990, Filed 11/2/23.
Compensation reflects the tax year beginning January 1, 2022, and ending December 31, 2022.
In the News
Stay up to date with the latest news and updates.
I Was Told to Approve All Teen Gender Transitions. I…
02/05/2024In February 2024, a former physician for MultiCare wrote an expose claiming the hospital group was promoting "affirming care" for…
Read More →Citing ‘offenses against God,’ local church cuts ties with children’s…
05/06/2024In May 2024, An Eatonville Church stated it would no longer hold a fundraiser for Mary Bridge Children’s unless the…
Read More →What is takes for WA trans youth to access gender-affirming…
12/17/2023In December 2023, a report by The Seattle Times claimed demand for gender-affirming care at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital had…
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