23 Feb Healthcare Resources and HRT for the Transgender Community in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa
Hi Everyone,
You know that we want you to be healthy and safe. To help you with your health care journey we are creating a list, by state of health care organizations that serve the transgender, nonbinary, gender queer and non-comforming community. While we are creating this site for you, we are also doing this weekly post on health care. While it’s nice to have a list, in these posts we can also give you a few details on what each of the organizations we post actually do. We’ll just go through the states alphabetically, unless you send us a note and request a particular state and we’ll move requests to the top of the list.
This week we are covering the resources in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa for Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender Non-Conforming Care.
Many resources are, to their credit, creating comfortable places for routine and proactive health maintenaince as well as interventionary health care. We will try to highlight what is offered in each case.
If you still can’t find the health care you need, drop us a note on FB (B.UR.SLF LLC), instagram/ twitter @burslfllc or email burslfllc@gmail.com and we will see what we can do to help.
This week we are listing resources for Illinois, Indiana and Iowa.
Illinois
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center (Website – LGBTQ Health Care Services, FB – Advocate Health Care, IG – @avocate.aurora)
LGBTQ-affirming healthcare offers family and internal medicine, dental care and gender-affirming surgery, as well as a long list of specialties including OB-GYN. No endrocrinologist was listed, so it was not possible to tell if hormone therapy is offered. A list of doctors accepting trans and gender non-conforming patients is on the website.
Payment Options: Advocate and Aurora have separate billing processes. Both accept insurance and have financial assistance, click the following links Advocate insurance accepted, Advocate financial assistance, Aurora insurance accepted and Aurora financial assistance.
The LBGTQ health care services of Advoocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center are in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago.
No age restrictions are given, but care appears intended for persons 18+
Chicago Women’s Health Center (Website – Trans Health Services, FB –Chicago Women’s Health Center, IG – @chicagowomensheatlthcenter)
A large number of services are offered including hormone therapy, primary and gynecological care, alternate insemination, pelvic floor therapy, STI screening, birth control.
Payment Options: All services are offered on a self-pay sliding scale and some insurance plans are also accepted, click the link paying for services for details.
Chicabo Women’s Health center is located between the Uptown and Buena Park neighborhoods in Chicago
No age restrictions are given, but care appears intended for persons 18+
Howard Brown Health Center (Webstie – Trans and Gender Nonconforming Health, FB – Howard Brown Health Center, IG – @howardbrownhealth)
Hormone therapy, specialty treatment for TGNC youth, HIV/STI testing and treatment, gyneocological/breast cancer screening, pregnancy testing and birth control, pharmacy, dentistry.
Payment Options: Howard Brown Health accepts insurance and has sliding scale payments for the uninsured.
There are a number of locations from Englewood up to Westridge in Chicago and telehealth
Pediatric, youth and adult patients are accepted.
Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago (Website – Gender Development Program, FB – Lurie Children’s, IG – @luriechildrens).
Services available include hormone therapy, pubertal suppression therapy, and behavioral health are available.
Payment Options: Lurie’s has several options for financial assistance and also accepts insurance, click the links for further information.
There are several locations on the Near Northside of Chicago.
Services available for pediatric and youth patients.
Rush Medical (Website – Gender Affirming Care, FB – Rush University Medical Center IG – @rushmedical).
The Gender Affirming Care Program provide hormone therapy and a variety of other services including primary care, surgery,obstetrics/gynecology, and behavior health
Payment Options: Rush Medical accepts insurance and has financial assistance options.
Rush Medical Center has locations for gender affirming care in Chicago on the near northside and in Morton Grove, a Northwest suburb of Chicago.
Rush Medical accepts pedicatric to adult patients.
Weiss Memorial Hospital (Website – Gender Confirmation Surgery, FB –Weiss Hospital , IG – @weisshospital)
Weiss Hospital offers a variety of gender confirmaiton surgeries.
Payment Options: click the link insurance and financial support for information about payment options.
Weiss Memorial Hospital is in Uptown area of Chicago.
No age limits are given, but it appears that the program is for adults 18+
UIC Gender and Sexuality Center (Website – Gender and Sexuality Center Health Care, FB – UICGSC, IG – @UICGSC).
The Gender and Sexuality Center offer a full range of gender affirmation services. These services are not detailed on the website, so contact the center for more information. A list of doctors actively seeking Trans/GNC patients is given. For students considering gender reassignment surgery, please visit this websits – UI Health Gender Affirmation Surgery.
Payment Options: no obvious payment options, possibly the health care is covered for students under a student health care policy.
The Gender and Sexuality Center (GSC) is in the Behavioral Science Building (BSB) on the UIC East Campus
While not stated, it is assumed that services are for UIC students and possibly staff.
Planed Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) (Website – Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy, FB – Planned Parenthood, IG – #plannedparenthoodofillinois)
All of the PPIL sites offer Gender Affirming Hormone therapy as well as other services including wellness screenings/ exams, reproductive health, prevention and treatmet of infections, STIs and HIV
Payment Options: Many PP Health Centers accept insurance and offer financial help, check with the center for details .
There are x PPIL sites 7 locations in downtown Chicago in Austin, Englewood, Loop, Near North, Rodgers Park, Roselawn and Wicker Park 7 in Chicago suburs, Aurora, Flossmor, Orland Park and Waukegan and 7 outside of Chicago, located in Bloomington, Champaign, Decature, Ottawa, Pekin, Peoria, and Springfield. All the locations and options for telehealth appoints can be found at this link – locations
The service is intended for adults 18+, but some PP Health Centers offer service to patients 16 to 17 andyou may be able to get HRT with parental consent and additional paperwork, check with the Health Center.
Phoenix Center, Central Illinois’ LGBTQ Community Center (Website – Transgender Resources, FB –Phoenix Center, IG – none found)
This website provides information for the downstate PPIL providers (above) that provide hormone therapy. The site also highlights a variety of resources for the transgender person including endocrinologists specializing in working with transgender people, resources for transgender adolescents and children, surgeons specializing in gender confirmation surgery, drills and voice techniques.
Payment Options: there are no obvious payment options, check with the individual providers for information.
The Phoenix Center is located in Springfield.
No age restrictions are given, check with the individual providers for age limitations for services.
VA Services for LGBTQ Veterans in Illinois (Websites – Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, VA Illini Health Care System, Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center and Marion VA Medical Center FB – U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs, IG – @VeteranAffairs)
According to the U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs, Patient Care Services for LGBT veterans includes the following (and other) services – hormone treatment, treatment and prevention of STIs/PrEP, cancer screening, prevention and treatment. If there are questions reach out to the LGBT Veteran Care Coordinator (VCC) at the site.
Payment Options: VA Health Care is offered free of charge to veterans. Veterans may have some copays.
Jesse Brown VA Medical Center has (1) medical center in Chicgo and (4) associated clinics in Auburn, Chicago Heights and Lakeside in the Chicago-land area in Illinois and Crown Point, Indiana.
Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital has (1) hospital and a Hoffman House recover center in Hines and (6) associated clinics in Aurora, Hoffman Estates, Joliet, Kankakee, LaSalle and Oak Lawn.
The VA Illini Health Care System has (1) medical center in Danville and 5 associated clinics in Bloomington Peoria Decatur, Mattoon and Springfield.
Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center has (1) health center, Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Cente, in North Chicago, (1) medical center, Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher Medical and Dental Clinic, in Great Lakes and (6) associated clinics in Evanson, McHenry, (3X) Great Lakes and Kenosha Wisconsin
Marion VAMC has 1 medical center in Marion, 1 Health Care Center in Evansville, Indiana and 10 associated clinice in Carondale, Effingham, Harrisburg and Mt Vernon all in Illinois, in Kentucky there is Madisonville, Mayfiled, Owensboro, Paducah and in Indiana there is Evansville and Vincennes
LGBT Veteran Care is for U.S. veterans.
Indiana
Ezkenazi Health (Website – Transgender Health and Wellness Program, FB –Ezkenazi Health , IG – @ezkenazihealth) – note the #1 in the IG name in place of an ‘i’
Ezkenazi Health offers a variety of services including – hormone replacement therapy, primary care, gender affirmming surgery, speech therapy, sexual health including prevention of HIV, and many other services.
Payment Options: Accepts insurance and has finacial counselors to help with applications for insurance, medicaid, medicare, children’s health coveragee program and a variety of other medical payment programs.
Ezkenazi Health is located in Indiapolis
No age limits are given, but it appears that the program is for adults 18+, check with provider to determine if services are open to <18.
Riley Children’s Health at Indiana University Health (Website – Gender Health Program, FB –Riley Children’s Health , IG – @rileychildrens)
Riley Children’s Health offers the following services – gender affirmig hormone therapy. menstrual suppression, surgery consultation and coordination.
Payment Option: Riley Children’s has a list of commonly accepted insurance and also a link to financial assistance program. Click the links for more informaiton.
Riley Children’s Health is located in Indianapolis.
Services are for children, adolescents and potentially young adults, check with the provider for age cut-offs.
Bloomington Pride offers a list of resources curated by a group of LGBTQ+ students at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law (Website – Bloomington Pride Transgender Health Care, FB –Bloomington Pride , IG – @btown_pride, #bloomingtonpride)
The gender confirmaiton surgeries.
The Bloomington Pride list includes primary care physicians, endrocrinologists (HRT), surgeons, gyneocologists, family practice physicians, pharmacies, health centers and many other resources.
Payment Options: Contact individual providers.
Resources are located in Bloomington.
Check individual providers for ages served
VA Health Care for LGBTQ Veterans in Indiana (Websites – Veteran Health Indiana and VA Northern Indiana Health Care System, FB – U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs, IG – @VeteranAffairs)
According to the U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs, Patient Care Services for LGBT veterans includes the following (and other) services – hormone treatment, treatment and prevention of STIs/PrEP, cancer screening, prevention and treatment. If there are questions reach out to the LGBT Veteran Care Coordinator (VCC) at the site.
Payment Options: VA Health Care is offered free of charge to veterans. Veterans may have some copays.
Veteran Health Indiana has (1) medical center, Richard L. Roudebush Veterans’ Administration Medical Center, in Indianapolis and (12) associated clinics in Bloomington, Crane, Indianapolis (3), Martinsville, Monroe, Shelbyville, Terre Haute, Vigo, Wakeman and West Lafeyette.
VA Northern Indian Health Care System has (1) hospital and a Hoffman House recover center in Hines and (6) associated clinics in Aurora, Hoffman Estates, Joliet, Kankakee, LaSalle and Oak Lawn.
LGBT Veteran Care is for U.S. veterans.
Iowa
University of Iowa Health Care (Website – UI Health Care LGBTQ Clinic, FB –UI Health Care , IG – @uihealthcare)
There are a variety of services available at the clinic includinggender-confirming hormone therapy, sexual health, chest, breast & pelvic exams, pap smears, prostate exams, STI testing, prevetion and treatment including HIV. Post-surgical care following gender-affirming surgery. Referrals to specialty care.
Payment Options: U of Iowa Health Care accepts the listed insurance providers and have financial resource assistance check the links for more information.
UI Health Care LBGTQ Clinic is located in Coraville
No age limits are given, but it appears that the program is for adults 18+
Affiliated Reproductive Health Clinics (ARHC) (Website – Transgender Health Care Iowa, FB –ARHCnebraska , IG – none found)
Stead Family Children’s Hospital Pediatric LGBTQ Clinic offers hormone replacement therapy and hormone blockers, sexual health STD testing and treatment, HIV prevention, help changing gender markers even for Iowans.
Payment Options: ARCH accepts insurance and asks that you contact ARCH to confirm your provider is accepted.
Transgender Health Care Iowa in ARHC Nebraska is in Bellevue, NE bordering western Iowa.
No age limits stated but appears to be for 18+ patients.
Unity Pointe Health (Website – LGBTQ Health Care in Central Iowa, FB – Unity Pointe Health – Des Moines , IG – @unitypointehealth)
Unity Point Health offers Hormone therapy, pre ad post surgical care for patients having gender affirming surgery, routine/ preventitive/ wellness care, STI/STD/HIV testign and counseling and prevention. Sexual health, gynecological exams, including trans affirming gynecology, Trans-sensitive pap smears, pelvic exams, and prostate exams. Comprehensive multi-disciplinary care for trans adults.
Paymet Options: Unity Point accepts insurance and has financial assistance click the link for additional information on financial assistance may.
Unity Pointe Health is located in Des Moines.
No age limits stated but appears to be for 18+ patients.
Emma Goldman Clinic (Website – Trans Health Initiative, FB – Emma Goldman Clinic, IG – #emmagoldmanclinic)
Emma Goldman Clinic serves gender diverse individuals. Services provided inlude sexual health and sexual health screeing, gyneocological exams, chest and breast exams pre and post surgery, STI testing.
Payment Options: there are discounted and free services, it’s not clear if insurance is accepted, check with the provier.
The Emma Goldman Clinic is in Iowa City.
Services are for adults with some services for teens.
Univesity of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital (Website – UI Children’s LGBTQ Clinic, FB –UIchildrens , IG – @UIchildrens)
Stead Family Children’s Hospital Pediatric LGBTQ Clinic offers gender-confirming hormone replacement therapy and puberty suppression.
Payment Options: Stead Family Children’s Hospital accepts insurance and financial assistance click the links for more information.
UI Children’s LGBTQ Clinic is located in Iowa City
UI Children’s LGBTQ Clinic serves children and adolescents.
Iowa University Center for LGBTQIA and Student Success (Website – Thielen Student Health Center, FB – The Center ISU , IG – @thecenterisu)
At the moment Thielen Student Health Center can not initiate hormone replacement therapy, but the pharmacy at Thielen Studet Health Center can refill hormone prescriptions and the health center can refer students to providers who can initiate hormone therapy.
Payment Options: are not obvious but probably include student health insurance and other insurance coverage.
The Thielen Student Health Center is located in Memorial Union in Ames
Care is for university students.
Planned Parenthood of Iowa has (9) Health Centers that belong to one organizaiton Planned Parenthood North Central States (Website – PP North Central States, FB – PP North Central States, IG – @ppgnorthcentralstates) which offers Transgender Hormone Therapy at all PP North Central States at the health centers and by telehealth
The Health Centers are Ames Center located in Ames, Cedar Falls Center located in Cedar Falls, Council Bluffs Health Center in Council Bluffs, Susan Knapp Health Center and Rosenfield both in Des Moines, Iowa City Health Center in Iowa City, Sioux City Center in Sioux City and West Health Center in Urbandale and all centers offer services via telehealth.
All health centers offer sexual and reproductive health including testing, treatement and prevention for STD/HIV as well as general health care and men’s and women’s health care.
Payment Options: Many PP Health Centers accept insurance and offer financial help, check with the center for details
The service is intended for adults 18+, but some PP Health Centers offer service to patients 16 to 17 andyou may be able to get HRT with parental consent and additional paperwork, check with the Health Center.
VA Health Care for LGBTQ Veterans in Iowa (Websites – Iowa City VA Health Care System and VA Iowa Central Health Care System, FB – U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs, IG – @VeteranAffairs)
According to the U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs, Patient Care Services for LGBT veterans includes the following (and other) services – hormone treatment, treatment and prevention of STIs/PrEP, cancer screening, prevention and treatment. If there are questions reach out to the LGBT Veteran Care Coordinator (VCC) at the site.
Payment Options: VA Health Care is offered free of charge to veterans. Veterans may have some copays.
Iowa City VA Health Care System has (1) medical center in Iowa City and (10) associated clinics in Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Decorah, Dubuque, Ottuma, Davenport and Waterloo all in Iowa and Galesburg, Quincy and Sterling in Illinois.
VA Central Iowa Health Care System has (1) medical center in Des Moines and (7) associated clinics in Caroll, Des Moines, Fort Dodge (2), Knoxville, Marshalltown and Mason City.
LGBT Veteran Care is for U.S. veterans.
About the author, Gayle M. Frankenbach, Ph.D. is the mother of a Daughter, Lise and a transgender son Elliott. Elliott and Gayle both passionately desire to care about and care for the trans community. Elliott and Gayle also both love the unbound creativity of the cosplay community. When we realized there is a big overlap between the two communities B.UR.SLF, LLC was born at the interface of these two great communities to serve them individually and together. Elliott and Gayle also enjoy running a trans son & parent business to be visible for parents on a journey to visibly support their own trans kids and be a great allies.