Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) has reportedly closed their pediatric sex-change care clinic for the time being, according to activist and journalist Christopher Rufo.
Earlier this week, a spokesman for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into TCH over alleged Medicaid fraud unveiled by Rufo's reporting.
"The pressure is mounting on the hospital’s transgender program, which is now under investigation by the state attorney general for alleged Medicaid fraud," Rufo wrote Thursday, announcing TCH had temporarily shut down their pediatric sex-change clinic, according to his source on the ground. BREAKING: Texas Children’s Hospital has temporarily closed its pediatric sex-change clinic, per a source on the ground. The pressure is mounting on the hospital’s transgender program, which is now under investigation by the state attorney general for alleged Medicaid fraud.
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) June 20, 2024
According to Rufo's investigation, which included two previously anonymous whistleblowers, later identified as TCH surgeon Eithain Haim and Nurse Vanessa Sivadge, TCH Doctors Richard Ogden Roberts and David Paul allegedly falsified medical records in order to practice "gender-affirming care" in defiance of Texas law.
Haim and Sivadge both provided info on TCH's practices to Rufo in May 2023, revealing the hospital had continued providing medical gender transitions for minors after publicly stating they would cease their procedures. Roberts was also revealed to have encouraged minors to undergo medical gender transition as Sivadge, then an anonymous whistleblower, argued there was no "critical analysis" for his diagnosis.
Sivadge's home was later visited by FBI agents Paul Nixon and David McBride, who wanted to discuss "some of the things" going on at her job. The FBI agents informed Sivadge that she was a "person of interest" after allegedly violating federal privacy laws.
"They threatened me," Sivadge told Rufo. "They promised they would make life difficult for me if I was trying to protect the leaker. They said I was ‘not safe’ at work and claimed that someone at my workplace had given my name to the FBI.”
Sivadge later noticed other discrepancies in paperwork and surmised that TCH doctors had been violating Texas law, which prevents Medicaid from being billed for medical gender transition procedures. Sivadge reported patients receiving "gender-affirming care" were enrolled in TCH's Health Plan STAR, which is described as a "no-cost Medicaid managed care plan."
Earlier this month, Haim was also visited by three "heavily armed federal agents" and was given a summons. Haim was later indicted on four felony counts of violating medical privacy laws, and faces up to ten years in prison.
Haim reportedly redacted patients’ names and identifying info to protect their privacy and avoid potentially violating HIPAA laws.
“The four-count indictment alleges Haim obtained personal information including patient names, treatment codes and the attending physician from Texas Children’s Hospital’s (TCH) electronic system without authorization,” wrote Southern District of Texas's chief law enforcement officer Alamadar S. Hamdani in a statement. “He allegedly obtained this information under false pretenses and with intent to cause malicious harm to TCH.”
