Healthcare Resources and HRT for the Transgender Community in Tenessee

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 Tennessee.  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 Tenessee.

Tennessee

Choices: Memphis Center for Reproductive Health (Website –LGBTQ+ Health Services, FB – Choices: Memphis Center for Reproductive Health , IG – @choicesmemphis)

Choices provides gender-affirming care including HRT, STI/ HIV testing, PrEP and various services promoting sexual health like Pap smears and HPV vaccines.  The site includes a link to Safer Sex for Trans Bodies a comprehensive sexual health guide for transgender, geneder expansive people and their partners.

Payment Options:  Choices accepts many types of insurances as well money orders and credit/debit.  NO CASH.  Discount fees are available if the bill is paid at the time of services  The are no other obvious financial assistance options, click fees for more informaiton.

There are two health centers in Memphis.

Services are for patients 18+.

Connectus Healthcare (Websites – Transgender Health, FB – Connectus Healthcare, IG – @connectushealthcare).

Transgender Health at Connectus offers gender-affirming HRT, primary care, reproductive health and support while seeking gender-confirmation surgery.

Most insurance is accepted and payment options include financial assistance.

There are a few locations in Nashville.

Age limits for services are not obvious, these services appear to be oriented to adults, but call with any quesitons on age limitations. 

QMed (Websites – Transgender Hormone Therapy Pop-Up Clinics and Accessible Care via  Telemedicine, FB – QMed , IG – @queer.medicine).

QMed offers hormone therapy, at pop-up clinics and by telemedicine.

Payment Options: QMed has a transparent list of competitive fees, but no obvious information about insurance accepted or financial assistance.

There is a pop-up are located in Chatanooga and telemedicine seems accessible from anywhere in the nation.

Age limits for services are not obvious, these services appear to be oriented to adults, call with any quesitons on age limitations. 

Vanderbilt Health and Vanderilt Children’s Endocrinology Dept. at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital (Website – Clinic for Transgender Health and Pediatric Transgender Clinic, FB – Vanderbilt Health and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, IG – @vanderbilthealth and @vumcchildren)

The Clinic for Transgender Health is an extension of the nationally recognized LGBTQ Health Program at Vanderbilt.  This clinic offers gender-confirming HRT, and consultation and post surgical care for gender-confirmation surgeries.  Check with the LGBTQ Health Program for a broader range of routine, preventative and treatment options for the LGBTQ community.

The Pediatric Transgender Clinic which is pare of the Vanderbilt Children’s Endocrinology Det. at Monroo Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital offers pubertal blocking and gender-confirming HRT.

Payment Options: Vanderbilt payment options include many insurance plans and financial assistance.

These clinics are located in Nashville

The Pediatric Transgender Clinic accepts children and adolescents, the Clinic for Transgender Health is for adults.  Call the providers for age cut-offs.

The University of Tennessee, Student Health (Websites – Transgender and Non-Binary Resource Guide FB – University of Tennessee, Knoxville , IG – @utsystem).

The Student Health Center offers gender-affirming HRT.

Payment Options: Student insurance covers free visits to seek hormone treatment with testosterone injection, oral estrogen and the patch . UT Student Health Center does not subsidize hormones, but they provide guidance in affording hormones

These services are offered at the Student Health Center on the university campus in Knoxville.

Services are for currently enrolled University of Tennessee students who have paid the health fee.

Planned Parenthood of Tennessee is part of (1) organization Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi (PPTNM) and has (4) Health Centers (Website – PPTNM , FB – Planned Parenthood of Tennesse and North Mississippi, IG – #plannedparenthoodoftennesseeandnorthmississippi)

PPTNM has (4) of the health centers in Tennessess.  Gender-affirming HRT is available onsite at Knoxville and Nashville and to the whole state of Tennessee by telehealth through the Nashville Health Center.  There are (2) more health  centers in Memphis and Midtown Memphis.  All the 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: Many PP Health Centers accept insurance and offer financial help, check on the websites and with the center for details.

PPTNM 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 Tennessee has (3) organizations, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Mountain Home VA Healthcare System and Memphis VA Medical Center (Websites – Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Mountain Home VA Healthcare System, and Memphis 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.

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

Tennessee Valley Healthcare Systeml has (2) medical center one in Nashville and the Alvin C. York Veterans’ Administration Medical Center, Murfreesboro and (17) associated clinics (2) in Kentucky in Bowling Green and Hopkinsville and (15) in Tennessee in Nashville (3), Athens, Chatanooga (2), Clarksville (2), Cookville, Dover, Gallatin, Columbia, McMinnville Harriman and Arnold Air Force Base.

Mountain Home VA Healthcare System has (1) medical center, James H. Quillen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, in Mountain Home and (10) associated clinics (5) in Virginia in Bristol, Jonesville, Marion, Norton and Vasant and (5) in Tennessee in LaFollette, Sevierville, Morristown, Rodgersville, and Knoxville.

Memphis VA Medical Center has (1) medical center in Memphis  (10) associated clinics (2) in Arkansas in West Helena and Jonesboro, (2) in Mississipi in Holly Srings and Tupelo and (6) in Tennessee in Memphis(3), Dyersburg, Jackson and Savannah.

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.  

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.