UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland

Health Systems University of California San Francisco Health System

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland

501(c)(3)

747 52nd St.
Oakland, CA

10

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.
10

Total Hormone and Puberty Blocker Patients

info icon Total unique children who were prescribed puberty blockers or received gender-affirming hormone therapy.
40

Total Prescriptions Written

info icon Total number of scripts for puberty blockers or gender-affirming hormones.
$5,749

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.

The UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland is a nonprofit hospital located in Oakland, California that is affiliated with the University of California San Francisco. The hospital provides sex change treatments to children as young as three years old through the Child and Adolescent Gender Center (CAGC). These interventions include menstrual suppression, puberty blockers, and hormone therapy, as well as sex change surgical referrals. Claims data shows the hospital has billed for hormone therapy for minors, while the wider UCSF system has billed for hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and gender 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 Child and Adolescent Gender Center (CAGC) provides sex change treatments to gender diverse youth from ages three to 25, providing puberty blockers, menstrual suppression, and gender affirming sex hormones, as well as references to surgery for those aged 16 and above.

A 2016 article from the East Bay Times stated that the Child and Adolescent Gender Clinic opened at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland to provide a “full array of services” to gender diverse youth.

Dr. Ivy Aslan, a physician at the clinic, said that the clinic’s providing of puberty blockers to adolescents is “buying them some time.” Puberty blockers are often started in children around age 10-11, and Dr. Aslan said the results are “reversible” and “no side effects have been found.”

Dr. Aslan wrote that “if you let puberty progress, those kids are going to get much worse.”

“[Dr. Herbert] Schreier, psychiatrist, said that in his experience, ‘not a single one’ of the patients who opted for surgery regretted the decision.”

One parent said that while all kids go through puberty, the clinic allowed her daughter to “go through a puberty that she identifies with.”

Dr. Gina Capodanno is a pediatric endocrinologist at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, who has written on the bone density of gender diverse youth prior to “gender-affirming care.”

The BCH Oakland Clinic also has a LGBTQ+ committee in order to “shine light on issues” facing patients, families, and staff. The webpage features events such as the Oakland Pride Parade and organizations such as the Pronouns Matter Campaign, as well as a host of resources in the hospital, state, and across the nation.

In a June 2017 article from the San Francisco Chronicle, Dr. Diane Ehrensaft, the mental health director at UCSF’s Child and Adolescent Gender Clinic, said that much of this has to do with the belief that not allowing children to live “as they are” bears an “uncomfortable resemblance to conversion therapy.”

Dr. Ehrensaft’s model is that children who are “insistent, persistent, and consistent” should be able to socially transition, with Dr. Ehrensaft calling the model “ascendant” and quickly spreading around the nation.

In August 2023, Fox News published an article on Dr. Ehrensaft’s radical gender ideologies, including her belief that a child can identify as a “Tootsie Roll pop.” She said “gender pathology lies more in the culture than in the child” and that we should wait until adolescence to see what a child’s gender identity is before jumping to “premature conclusions.” According to Dr. Ehrensaft, gender dysphoria should not be a measure of psychological distress but rather a measure of developmental status and cognitive or emotional awareness.

Sex Change Treatments Offered

The Child and Adolescent Gender Center (CAGC)

The Child and Adolescent Gender Center (CAGC) provides sex change treatments to children and young people from ages three to 25.

“Our overarching goal is to provide medical and psychological care, as well as advocacy and legal support to all our patients. We help children and families connect to local resources and support groups, refer to counselors who are trained in the care of transgender youth, and provide legal and educational support. We support children and their families through their social, medical, and/or surgical transition. If and when children and their families are ready to pursue medical therapies, we prescribe and manage puberty blockers, menstrual suppression, and gender affirming sex hormones. Puberty blockers are a fully reversible treatment that are sometimes used to allow young people time to achieve greater self-awareness of their gender identification while putting a ‘pause’ on their natal puberty and preventing the overt development of secondary sexual characteristics. We also participate in fertility counseling and refer to fertility preservation specialists if desired. Lastly, we are able to connect young adults, and occasionally older adolescents (16+) to gender-affirming surgeons.”

Sex change treatments offered include:
  • Puberty blockers
  • Menstrual suppression
  • Hormones
  • Referrals to surgery for those over the age of 16

 

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
Nicholas Holmes President & CEO N/A
Stacy Alexander, MHA Vice President N/A
Judie Boehmer, RN, MN Chief Nursing Officer N/A
Jeffrey Chiu VP, Human Resources N/A
Erin Hickey Assistant Vice Chancellor of Development Physician-in-Chief N/A
Raphael Hirsch, MD Physician-in-Chief N/A
Ted Wang Chief Financial Officer N/A
Joan Soltanski, MD, MBA Chief Medical Officer N/A

The current leadership/titles are based on the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital leadership website.

 

 

Board of Trustees

Name Title Compensation
Shahan Sogikian, MBA Chair $0
Davis Beier, JD Member N/A
Valli Benesch, JD Member N/A
Angela Glover Blackwell Member N/A
Henry DeNero, MBA Member N/A
Diane Dietz Member N/A
Maria Echaveste, JD Member N/A
Dane Gehringer, MD Member N/A
Suresh Gunasekaran, MBA Member N/A
Nicholas Holmes, MD, MBA Member N/A
Samir Kaul, MBA Member N/A
Tim Kendall, MBA Member N/A
Talmadge E. King, Jr, MD Member N/A
Carolyn Klebanoff, MD Member N/A
Steven Klein, MBA Member N/A
Melissa Knox, MBA Member N/A
Chris Kwei Member N/A
Sarah Wagener Member N/A
Lisa Walsh, MBA Member N/A
Gregor Watson Member N/A
Carrie Wheeler Member N/A
Melissa Williams, MBA Member N/A

The current leadership/titles are based on the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital board website.

It is unclear how the Board of Directors is elected and how long terms may last.

In the News

Stay up to date with the latest news and updates.

East Bay Times

Children's hospital addresses kids gender issues

12/26/2016

A 2016 article from East Bay Times wrote the Child and Adolescent Gender Clinic opened at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital…

Read More →
San Francisco Chronicle

Research on transgender children still in its infancy

06/18/2017

In a June 2017 article from the San Francisco Chronicle, Dr. Diane Ehrensaft, the mental health director at UCSF’s Child…

Read More →
Fox News

Children's hospital director claims 'infinite' genders, trans kids can identify…

08/22/2023

In August 2023, Fox News published an article on Dr. Diane Ehrensaft’s radical gender ideologies, including her belief that a…

Read More →