A Q&A With Dr. Juanita Hodax
Juanita Hodax
Who needs to make the referral, and what happens once the referral is placed?
Dr. Juanita Hodax, physician, Seattle Children’s: A patient can be referred to the Gender Clinic by one of their providers, or they can self-refer. Once a referral is placed, they will receive a call to first schedule an intake call with a social worker who is the Gender Clinic care coordinator. During the intake call, we get a brief history and discuss goals of the appointment and provide resources (for mental health providers, local community resources, etc.) that may be helpful to the patient and family even before they have their appointment. After the intake call is done, an appointment with a medical provider is made.
What ages do you see?
Dr. Hodax: We see pediatric patients up to age 21 years old. As patients approach age 21, we work with them to find an adult provider who can take over the management of their transgender care. Many times, this is a primary care provider who has some experience in transgender care.
Does a patient need parent permission to get services from the Gender Clinic, and if not, at what point does the parent need to be involved?
Dr. Hodax: While some treatments require parental consent for patients under the age of 18 years, some treatments are available to patients without formal parental consent. Gender-affirming hormones (estradiol or testosterone) do require parental consent from all parents who have medical decision-making power, because these treatments have the potential for irreversible long-term effects. Puberty blockers (Lupron injections or histrelin implant) are a reversible treatment but do require parental consent, as patients are typically at a younger age when this treatment is being considered.
Complete parental consent is not required for medications used to suppress menstrual cycles in transgender boys or for some testosterone blockers in transgender girls. Parental permission is also not required to schedule an appointment in the Gender Clinic. However, our providers and our social work team try very hard to work with parents to help them understand why treatment is important and necessary for their child. Read More »
Gender-diverse patients face significant barriers to receiving adequate healthcare. A new Project ECHO* program from Seattle Children’s aims to increase participants’ knowledge and self-efficacy regarding best-practice care for gender-diverse youth to improve their healthcare experiences and improve access to gender-affirming care. The program is being created and led by Seattle Children’s Gender Clinic team.
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The following CME Events are being held this month:
On June 6, Dr. Gary Stobbe and James Mancini will be presenting on “Patients with Autism Spectrum” in the Tri-Cities. For more information, please contact Physician Liaison Kenton McAllister at [email protected].
On June 13, Dr. David Inwards-Breland and Julia Crouch will be presenting on “Caring for Transgender Youth” in Everett. For more information, please contact Physician Liaison Jen Mueller at [email protected].
The following CME Events are being held this month:
On April 12, Dr. Raina Voss and Julia Crouch will be presenting on “Caring for Transgender Youth in Bellevue. For more information, please contact Physician Liaisons Jen Mueller at [email protected] or Patti Kilburn at [email protected].
On April 18, Dr. Salaam Sallaam will be presenting on “Pediatric Sudden Cardiac Death” in Wenatchee. For more information, please contact Physician Liaison Kenton McAllister at [email protected].
On April 26, Dr. Niviann Blondet will be presenting on “Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease” in Yakima. For more information, please contact Physician Liaison Kenton McAllister at [email protected].
We would like to share some new educational resources for primary care providers from the Seattle Children’s Gender Clinic. These can all be found on our website: https://www.seattlechildrens.org/clinics/gender-clinic/education-resources-healthcare-professionals/
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Caring for Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth
Saturday, June 6. Save the date and check back for details.
Grand Rounds
Provider Grand Rounds: full schedule and Webex/dial-in information
May 7, 2020: Neonatal Cholestasis: More Than Yellow Eyes and Pale Stools. Niviann Blondet, MD; acting assistant professor of Pediatrics, UW; Gastroenterology, Seattle Children’s.
May 14, 2020: Improving the EHR to Support Clinical Decision-Making and Reduce Clinician Burnout. Ari Pollack, MD, MSIM; assistant professor, Pediatrics, UW; Nephrology, Prenatal Diagnosis and Treatment, Seattle Children’s. Read More »
