PeaceHealth vague on transgender care access

A decision by U.S. Catholic bishops to ban gender-affirming care for transgender patients at Catholic hospitals may have implications for patients at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, but it’s unclear how.

PeaceHealth is a not-for-profit Catholic health system that provides care in Washington, Oregon and Alaska.

“PeaceHealth respects and honors the human dignity of our transgender patients and provides them with the same safe, compassionate, quality care we deliver to all our patients,” PeaceHealth communications manager Jim Murez said in a statement.

He would not, however, comment on how the church’s ban would affect access to gender-affirming care at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center.

On Nov. 12, bishops overwhelmingly approved revisions to their ethical and religious directives for Catholic hospitals at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The changes were made to reflect Catholic teaching and tradition, said Sister Mary Haddad, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States.

One in 7 patients in the United States is cared for in a Catholic hospital daily.

Despite the ban, Haddad said Catholic providers will continue to welcome transgender patients who seek medical care.

“Regarding the new directives for the care of transgender persons, these changes are consistent with Catholic health care practice that does not allow for medical interventions that alter sexual characteristics absent an underlying condition,” Haddad said in a statement.

Major medical groups and health organizations support gender-affirming care for transgender patients.

In August, Kaiser Permanente suspended a portion of its gender-affirming care services for youth.

The systemwide decision, which pauses gender-affirming surgical treatment for people younger than 19, stems from the federal government’s significant focus on limiting gender-affirming care for younger patients, which has included executive orders instructing federal agencies to take actions to decrease access and restrict funding.

“In response to these federal actions, many health systems and clinicians across the country have paused or discontinued providing gender-affirming care for adolescents,” according to a statement from Kaiser Permanente.