Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Upstate
Health Systems Prisma Health UpstatePrisma Health Children’s Hospital–Upstate
501(c)(3)
701 Grove Rd.
Greenville, SC
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.
Prisma Health Children’s Hospital – Upstate is a 501(c)(3) under Prisma Health located in Greenville, South Carolina. The hospital system previously offered sex change treatments such as hormone therapy and gender surgery. It also offers the LGBTQIA+ Health Care program and the VAST Program: Voice Assessment And Support For Transgender Youth. Claims data confirms that entities within Prisma Health Upstate health system billed for hormone therapy and sex change surgeries for minors. Effective May 21, 2024, South Carolina passed legislation to protect children from so-called “gender-affirming care,” including hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and surgeries. However, physicians can temporarily continue providing hormone therapy and puberty blockers to minors who were prescribed these treatments prior to August 1, 2024, if the physician determines discontinuing the treatment would be harmful to the minor. The physician “may institute a period during which the person’s use of the drug or hormone is systematically reduced,” which must end by January 31, 2025.
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 hospital system provided sex change treatments in the LGBTQ+ Health program, such as hormone treatment therapy and surgery, though it doesn’t specify whether or not children and adolescents can receive this care.
Prisma Health Children’s Hospital has a program called VAST: Voice Assessment and Support for Transgender Youth, where a speech pathologist provides voice treatment for “transgender and non-binary children and adolescents.”
Prisma Health lists providers that specialize in “gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy and surgery,” as well as mental health resources, though they don’t explicitly provide an age range that can receive this care.
Sex change Treatments Offered
LGBTQ+ Health program
The hospital system provides sex change treatments in the LGBTQ+ Health program, such as cross-sex hormones and surgeries, though it doesn’t specify whether or not children and adolescents can receive this care.
VAST: Voice Assessment and Support for Transgender Youth
Prisma Health Children’s Hospital has a program called VAST: Voice Assessment and Support for Transgender Youth, where a speech pathologist provides voice treatment for “transgender and non-binary children and adolescents.”
This is the only “gender-affirming care” that is specifically geared towards children at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital Upstate. All other gender affirming care has no specified age on the website.
Prisma Health lists providers that specialize in “gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy and surgery,” as well as mental health resources, though they don’t explicitly provide an age range that can receive this care.
“Prisma Health is committed to ensuring that everyone, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or question and intersex South Carolinians, has access to quality health care. We offer providers who specialize in and are dedicated to meeting the unique medical needs of LGBTQIA+ community members, including gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy and surgery.”
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mark S. O’Halla | President & CEO | $1,682,042 |
| Matt Elsey | EVP, Chief Financial Officer | N/A |
| Alexander Gladney | EVP, Chief Legal Officer | N/A |
| Jonathan Gleason, MD | EVP, Chief Clinical Officer | N/A |
| Malcolm Isley | EVP, Chief Strategy Officer | $780,163 |
| Amy Linsin | EVP, Chief HR/Diversity Officer | $852,277 |
| Clarence Sevillian | EVP, Chief Operating Officer | $649,775 |
The current leadership/titles are based on the Prisma Health leadership website, but the compensation information is from the Prisma Health Upstate 2022 Form 990, filed 8/11/23.
Compensation reflects the tax year beginning October 1, 2021, and ending September 30, 2022.
Board of Trustees
| Name | Title | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Rion Smith | Chairman | $0 |
| Andy White | Vice Chair | $0 |
| Tracy Lamb | Secretary | N/A |
| Erin McCaskill | Treasurer | $0 |
| Kristin Bennett | Member | $0 |
| Jim Canavos | Member | N/A |
| Kelly Carson | Member | N/A |
| Mike Cumby | Ex Officio Member | N/A |
| Annmarie Higgins | Ex Officio Member | N/A |
| Margaret Jenkins | Member | N/A |
| Ramon Nieves-Lugo | Member | N/A |
| Bob Nitto | Member | N/A |
| Tyler Prescott | Member | N/A |
| Clarence Sevillian | Ex Officio Member | $649,775 |
| David Williams, MD | Member | N/A |
The current leadership/titles are based on the Prisma Health board website, but the compensation information is from the Prisma Health Upstate 2022 Form 990, filed 8/11/23.
Compensation reflects the tax year beginning October 1, 2021, and ending September 30, 2022.
Prisma Health Children’s – Upstate appears to elect its Board of Directors to serve three-year terms.