Healthcare Resources and HRT for the Transgender Community in South Carolina and South Dakota

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 covering resources in South Carolina and South Dakota.  Many resources across the country 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 South Carolina and South Dakota.

South Carolina

Prism Health (Website –  LGBTQ Patient Care, FB – Prism Health-Upstate, IG – @prisma_health

Prism Health is a group of providers from various specialties who collaborate with the overall goal of improving the healthcare experience for LGBTQ people while decreasing healthcare disparities for these patient populations.  Some providers gender-confirming HRT to transgender patients.  

Since this is a collaborative of health care providers check with the individual provider for locations, payment options, and age limitations on services.

MUSC Health and MUSC Children’s Hospital (Website – LGBTQ Services and Pediatric Transgender Clinic FB – MUSC Health and MUSC Children’s Health,  IG – @muschealth and @musckids)

MUSC Health has transgender specific services including gender-confirming HRT, pre and post surgical care and trans-sensitive pap smears, pelvic exams, and prostate exams, primary care, an infectious disease clinic with HIV screening, treatment and prevention (PrEP).  Dental services are also available.

MUSC Children’s Hospital has a pediatric transgender clinic in their Endocrinology & Diabetes Dept, it is assumed that this department offers gender-confirmation HRT.

Payment Options: include insurance and MUSC will help patients without insurance arrange payment plans.

MUSC has many locations.

The MUSC Children’s Hospital Pediatric Transgender Clinic is for children and adolescents and the MUSC Health LGBTQ Services are for adults.  Check with the programs for age limitations for the programs and services.       

University of South Carolina, Health Services (Website –Transgender and Non-Binary Student Support and Services, FB – UofSC , IG – @uofsc)

UofSC, Health Services provides gender-confirmation HRT and primary care to transgender and non-binary students.

Payment Options:  the above services are covered by student health insurance.

Health services are available on the campus of Southern Carolina in Columbia.

Services are for U of SC students.

Planned Parenthood of the South Carolina is part of (1) organization Planned Parenthood of South Atlantic (PPSAT) and has (2) Health Centers (Websites –  PPSAT, FB – PPSouthAtlantic, IG – #plannedparenthoodsouthatlantic)

PPSAT has (2) health centers in South Carolina, Charleston Health Center and Columbia Health Center.  The Charleston health center offers gender-affirming HRT, through Transgender Charleston and by telehealth to help patients anywhere in South Carolina.  Both health centers offer a wide range of  important 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: PPSAT has a teen discount program for most preventative services and many PP Health Centers accept insurance and offer financial help, check on the websites and with the center for details.

PPSAT serves teens and adults.  HRT is provided to 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 about HRT and  with any quesitons on age limitations for services. 

VA Health Care for LGBTQ Veterans in South Carolina has (2) organizations Ralph A. Johnson VA Medical Center and VA Columbia Health Care System (Websites – Ralph A. Johnson VAMC, and VA Columbia 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.

VA healthcare is offered free of charge to veterans.   Veterans may have some copays.

Ralph A. Johnson VAMC has (1) medical center, the Ralph A. Johnson VA Medical Center, in Charleton and (6) associated clinics (2) in Georgia in Hinesville and Savannah and (4) in Sourth Carolina in Beaufort, Goose Creek, Myrtle Beach and North Charleston.

VA Columbia Health Care System has (1) medical center, Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, in Columbia and (7) associated clinics in Anderson, Florence, Greenville, Orangeburg, Rock Hill, Spartansburg and Sumter.

LGBT Veteran Care is for U.S. veterans.

Two Online Resource Guides from the Campaign for Southern Equality and the Harriet Hancock LGBTQ Center (Websites – Trans in the South Resource Guide 2019, Campaign for Southern Equality and Transgender Support Resource Guide , Harriet Hancock Center FB – Southern Equality, IG – @southernequality and @harriethancockcenter.

Check with individual providers in the resources guides for payment options, locations and age limitations for services.  

South Dakota

Planned Parenthood in South Dakota is part of (1) organization, Planned Parenthood of the North Central States (PPNCS) that has (1) health center (Websites – PPNCS. FB – PP North Central States , IG – @ppnorthcentralstates).

PPNCS has (1) health centers in Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls Health Center which offers gender-affirming HRT at the health center and via telehealth – Telehealth Transgender Hormone Therapy to help patients anywhere in South Dakota.  The health centers offers a wide range of  important 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 Sioux Falls health center click the services link in the above paragraph.

Payment Options: many PP Health Centers accept insurance and offer financial help, check on the websites and with the center for details.

HRT is provided to 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 about HRT and  with any quesitons on age limitations for services. 

VA Health Care for LGBTQ Veterans in South Dakota has (2) organizations, Royal C. Johnson Veterans Memorial Hospital and VA Black Hills Health Care System (Websites – Royal C. Johnson Veterans Memorial Hospital, and VA Black Hills 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.

VA healthcare is offered free of charge to veterans.   Veterans may have some copays.

Royal C. Johnson Veterans Memorial Hospital has (1) medical center, the Ralph A. Johnson VA Memorial Hospital, in Sioux Falls and (5) associated clinics (1) in Iowa in Spirit Lake and (4) in South Dakota in Aberdeen, Dakota Dunes, Wagner and Watertown.

VA Black Hills Health Care System has (2) medical centers, in Fort Meade and Hot Springs and (7) associated clinics (1) in Wyoming in Newcastle, (2) in Nebraska in Gordon and Scottsbluff and (4) in South Dakota in Pierre, Pine Ridge, Rapid City and Winner.

LGBT Veteran Care is for U.S. veterans.

Two Online Resourse Guides from the Black Hills Center for Equality and Trans Action South Dakota (Websites – Black Hills Center for Equality Health Care Resources, and Online Guide to Endocrinologist from Trans Action South Dakota, FB – Black Hills Center for Equality, and Trans Action South Dakota, IG – @bhcfequality

and @transaction_sd.

Check with individual providers in the resources guides for payment options, locations and age limitations for services.  

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.