02 Jun Healthcare Resources and HRT for the Transgender Community in Pennsylvania
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-conforming 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 focusing on Pennsylvania, since Pennsylvania has lots of resources. Many esources are, to their credit, creating comfortable places for transitional medicine as well as routine proactive health maintenance and 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 covering resources in Pennsylvania, and we divided these into resources outside Philadelphia and inside Philadelphia.
Allentown Women’s Center (AWC) (Website –Trans Health, FB – Allentown Women’s Center, IG – @allentownwomenscenter)
Trans Health at Allentown Women’s Center offers HRT and also annual physicals including breast exam and pap smear, birth control, and laser hair removal.
Payment Options: AWC accepts insurance and offers limited financial assistance to those who qualify, find additional information at payment options.
AWC is in Bethlehem.
Age limits for services are not obvious, these services appear to be oriented to adults, but call the provider to learn age limits for services.
Alder Health Services (Website –Gender-Affirming Health Care, FB –Alder Health , IG – @alderhealthservices)
The gender-affirming medical services include HRT, primary care and sexual health, including chest/breast and pelvic health, HIV/STI treatments and testing including PrEP, family planning, and even a food pantry and clothing market.
Payment Options: Options in addition to fee for services are not obvious, check with the provider for more information.
Trans Health at Alder Health Services is in Harrisburg.
The age limits for HRT is 18+, check with the provider for age limits on other services.
Allegheny Health Network (AHN) (Website – Transgender Health Care, FB – Allegheny Health Network , IG – @ahntoday)
Transgender Health Care @ AHN offers medical transition and the assumption is that this is gender-confirming HRT, and a variety of gender confirming surgeries including breast reduction/ augmentation, chest reconstruction/ masculizaiton, orchiectomy, and hysterectomy.
Payment Options: AHN accepts insurance and works with patients to help them meet financial obligations and they will help you learn if you qualify for financial assistance.
AHN has several locations click the link for more information.
Age limits for services are not obvious, these appear to be oriented adults, but call the provider with quesitons on age limitations for services.
Mazzoni Center (Website – Gender Affirming Services, and Pediatric & Adolescent Comprehensive Transgender Services (PACTS), FB – Mazzoni Center, IG – @mazzonicenter)
Mazzoni Center has a comprehensive set of gender-affirming services including HRT, primary medical care HIV medical care, on-site pharmacy, breast/chest health care, GYN services/ cervical cancer screenings (where links are provided, click for more details)
Mazzoni Center has a specialty program for children and youth, the Pediatric & Adolescent Comprehensive Transgender Services (PACTS). PACTS is a collaboratie care team that draws on the input and expertise of multiple departments within Mazzoni Center – medical providers, social workers, therapists, and legal staff to provide the best possible care for clients. We use an informed consent model, assessing current knowledge and educating the family about treatment options and other medical issues surrounding the social and medical transition process.
Here is a comprehensive list of Mazzoni Center’s Health Care and Prevention Care services.
Mazzoni Center produces the annual Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference, the largest The Largest Free Trans-Specific Conference in the World drawing over some 7,000 participants from around the globe. The conference is free and offers hundreds of workshops including parent, and activities and spaces for kids and teens.
Payment Options: Mazzoni Center accepts insurance programs and offers low cost co-pays on a sliding scale, click the link insurance and payment for more information.
The Mazzoni Center has two locations in Philadelphia.
The Mazzoni Center has services for patients of all ages.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOPs) (Website – Gender and Sexuality Development Clinic, FB – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOPs), IG – @childrensphila)
The multi-disciplinary team at The Gender and Sexuality Development Clinic (GSD Clinic) offers psychosocial and medical support for gender variant, gender expansive and transgender children and youth up to age 21 and their families. The Gender and Sexuality Development Clinic will evaluate pediatric patients for puberty suppression and adolescent patients for gender-affirming medical treatment which we assume is HRT. The cline also provides referrals for gender-affirming surgeries. The clinic’s website has a lot of great resources like insurance advocay, a lending library for books and videos, educations videos and materials on the website, help with advocacy in schools and educational settings and recommendations for local LGBTQ friendly salons and stylists.
They have a great website and organization, check it out.
Payment Options: CHOPs accepts many insurance programs and also has financial assistance, click the link billing and insurance for more information.
The Gender and Sexuality Development Clinic at CHOPs is located in Philadelphia.
The Gender and Sexuality Development Clinic at Chops is for children up to 21 years old and their families.
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (Website – Gender and Sexual Development Program, FB – UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, IG – @chlidrenspgh)
The Gender and Sexual Development Program is an integrated program that offers HRT and puberty blockers.
Payment Options: Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh accepts insurance and offers finanancial assistance click the link patient billing for more information.
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh is in Pittsburgh.
The Gender and Sexual Development Program at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh serves children and youth up to age 26.
Penn Medicine (Website – LGBT Health Program and Transgender Patient Avocate Program FB – Portland State SHAC, IG – @pennmed
It is not clear what services, if any Penn Medicine has for transgender patients, but they hae a Transgender Patient Advocaate Program which will help transgender patients find medical resources.
Payment options will depend on resources identified for the needed services. Penn Medicine itself does have a financial assistance program.
Penn Medicine has several locations in Philadelphia and a couple of resources outside of Philadelphia and in New Jersey.
Age limits for services are not obvious, these appear to be oriented adults, but call with any quesitons on age limitations.
University of Pennsylvania Student Health Service (Website – Transgender Health, FB – University of Pennsylvania , IG – @UnivPennsylvania)
The Transgender Health program at Student Health Services at the University of Pennsylvania offers multidisciplinary services including gender-affirming HRT, primary care, referrals for gender-affirming services, gynecologic care, and wellness services.
Payment Options: Some gender-affirming services are covered by student health insurance, some students are covered under student health insurance for gender-confirming surgies, click the link FAQ for transgender coverage through PSIP.
Student health services for University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia and also offers telemedicine.
Transgender Health at student health services at University of Pennsylvania are for students of University of Pennsylvania.
Temple Health and Temple University (Website – Gender-Affirmation Hormone Therapy, FB – Temple Health , IG – @templehealth)
Temple Health offers gender-affirmation hormone therapy. Temple University has Trans Health Services at the Wellness Resource Center. The services available at Trans Health Services for students at Temple University are not obvious, but it appears that Trans Health Services is working closely with Mazzoni Center which has very comprehensive services for the transgender, gender nonconforming, nonbinary and LBTQIA communities.
Payment Options: Temple Health accepts insurance, will help patients get ACA market insurance and has options for financial assistance, but it is not clear which of these apply to students, call the provider for more information.
Gender-affirmation hormone therapy is located in Philadelphia. Trans Health Services at the Wellness Resource Center is located in the Student Center.
Age limits for services at Transgender Health are not obvious, these appear to be oriented adults, but call with any quesitons on age limitations. Trans Health Services at the Wellnes Resource Center in the Student Center of Temple University is for students of Temple University.
Planned Parenthood of Pennsylvania is part of (3) organizations, Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania (PPSP), Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania (PPWP) and Planned Parenthood of Keystone (PPKeystone) and these organizations have (23) Health Centers (Websites –PPSP , PPWP and PPKeystone, FB – Planned Parenthood SEPA, PPWP, and PPKeystone, IG – @plannedparenthood, #plannedparenthoodofwesternpennsylvania and @ppkeystone)
Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania (PPSP) has (8) health centers in Coatsville, Philadelphia City Center, Castor Ave. Northeast Philadelphia, Media, Norristown, Pottstown, Upper Darby and West Chester, click the link for locations and there is also telehealth. Patients seeking Gender Affirming Care, including HRT, are specifically directed to (3) of the locations, Philadelphia City Center, Pottstown and West Chester. All of the PPSP health centers offer many important services, click the link and see the notes below.
Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania (PPWP) has (6) health centers in Bridgeville, Greensburg, Johnstown, Mood Township, Pittsburgh and Somerset, click the link for locations. and telehealth is also available. PPWP offers Gender Affirming Care including HRT and other important services, click the links and see the notes below.
Planned Parenthood of Keystone has (9) health centers in Allentown, Bensalem, Harrisburg, Lancaster (coming soon, has telehealth now), Quakertown, Susie & John Stanley Health Center at Reading, Warminster, Wilkes-Barres and York click the link for locations. and there are also remote services and telehealth. Planned Parenthood of Keystone health centers do not specifically state availability of HRT, but the health centers provide service referrals and also many other important services, click the previous link and see notes below.
Planned Parenthood organizations offer a wide range services available to all people including primary care, HIV, SIT testing, counseling, and treatment PEP and PrEP, contraception and gynecological care including PAP smears. For services at each of PP organizations, click the services links in the above paragraphs.
Payment Options: Many PP Health Centers accept insurance and offer financial help, check on the websites and with the center for details.
The service is intended for adults 18+, but the many 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 Pennsylvania has (8) organization (Websites – James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center, Butler VA Health Care System, Erie VAMC, Coatsville VAMC, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VAMC, Lebanon VAMC, VA Pittsburgh Health Care and Wilkes-Barre 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 – gender-confirming HRT 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.
James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center has (1) medical center in Altoona (5) associated clinics in Dubois, Mapleton Depot, Indiana, Johnstown and State College.
Butler VA Health Care System has (6) associated clinics, The Abie Abraham VA Clinic in Butler and (5) other clinics in Kittanning, Monroe, Cranberry Township, New Castle and Hermitage
Erie VA Medical Center has (1) medical center in Erie and (5) associated clinics, (4) in Pennsylvania in Meadville, Bradford, Franklin and Warren and (1) in Ohio in Ashtabula.
Coatsville VA Medical Center has (1) medical center in Coatsville and (2) associated clinics in Maresville and Spring City.
Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center has (1) medical center in Philadelphia and (5) associated clinics (2) in Pennsylvania in Horsham and Philadelphia and (3) in New Jersey in Marlton, Camden and Sewell.
Lebanon VA Medical Center has (1) medical center in Lebanon and (5) associated clinics in Wyomissing, Mechanicsburg, Willow Street, Pottsburg and York.
VA Pittsburgh Health Care has (2) medical centers, Pittsburgh VA Medical Center and H. John Heinz III Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, both in Pittsburgh and (5) associated clinics (4) in Pennsylvania in Rochester, Uniontown, Washington and Greensburg and (1) in Ohio in St. Clairsville in Brookings, (2) Eugene and North Bend.
Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center has (1) medical center in Wilkes-Barre and (7) associated clinics in Allenstown, Bloomberg, Bangor, Sayre, Toyahanna,Honesdale and Williamsport.
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.