Connecticut Children’s and Yale New Haven Hospital winding down gender care for patients under 19

Add Us On GoogleAdd as a preferred source on Google

HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) - Connecticut Children’s and Yale New Haven Hospital said they are winding down gender-affirming care for patients under the age of 19.

Connecticut Children’s released a statement that detailed the change.

“At Connecticut Children’s, our highest priority is the safety and well-being of the patients and families we serve. In recent months, we have been carefully reviewing the long-term sustainability of our gender care program in light of an increasingly complex and evolving landscape.
After thoughtful consideration and guidance from medical and legal experts, we have made the difficult decision to begin winding down this program for patients under the age of 19. This process is being carried out in a deliberate and planful way, with ongoing communication and support for the families and team members directly involved. It continues to be an evolving and fluid situation.
We are approaching each situation on a case-by-case basis to ensure that every child’s needs are considered with compassion, clinical judgment, and care. We remain fully committed to providing inclusive, respectful care to all children and to ensuring that every family continues to feel safe, supported, and heard at Connecticut Children’s.
At this time, we are not offering further comment, but will continue to share information with our stakeholders as appropriate.”
Connecticut Children's Hospital

The Director of Communications at Yale New Haven Health also released a statement.

Yale Medicine’s and Yale New Haven Hospital’s pediatric gender program has offered high-quality care to patients with questions or concerns related to gender identity. With specialists including pediatric-trained endocrinologists, psychologists, and psychiatrists, the program provided options that included medication treatment, when indicated following a thorough assessment, for its patients experiencing gender dysphoria. The program did not include surgical interventions.
We have been carefully monitoring federal executive orders and administrative actions relating to gender-affirming care for patients under age 19. After a thorough assessment of the current environment, we have made the very difficult decision to modify the pediatric gender program to eliminate the medication treatment component of the gender-affirming program for patients under age 19. This decision was not made lightly. We are aware of the profound impact that this decision will have on the patients treated in this program, as well as their families. We are committed to offering transitional support as the medication treatment component of the pediatric gender-affirming care program winds down, and our providers will continue to provide mental health and other health care services to these patients in a compassionate care environment.
Dana Marnane, Director of Communications at Yale New Haven Health

Gov. Ned Lamont commented on the decision.

“To transgender youth and their families in Connecticut: You are not alone. We see you, we support you, and we are working closely with the attorney general and hospital leaders to understand the full impact. In Connecticut, we do not turn our backs on kids in need,” Lamont said in part.

Connecticut Republican Chairman Ben Proto also released a statement on the matter.

He said in part, “These concerns center on the appropriateness of subjecting young children—who are still years away from fully developing mentally, emotionally, intellectually, physically, and sexually—to irreversible medical procedures. Many individuals who underwent such treatments as minors now express deep regret over decisions made before they had the maturity and capacity to fully understand the consequences".

In January, the Trump administration issued an executive order to end gender affirming care for patients under 19 across the country.

Federal funding cuts were threatened if hospitals did not comply.

This led to a legal battle that ended with a judge blocking the order in March.

Since then, other hospitals around the country have closed their gender affirming care programs for kids, citing pressure from the Trump administration.