03 Mar Health Care Resources in Kansas and Kentucky
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-comforming 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 Kansas and Kentucky for Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender Non-Conforming Care.
Many resources are, to their credit, creating comfortable places for routine and proactive health maintenaince as well as 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 listing resources for Kansas and Kentucky.
Kansas
Truman Medical Center (Website – LGBTQ Care, FB – Truman Medical Center, IG – @trumanmedicalcenters)
Truman Medical Center runs has primary care physicians for LGBTQ patients and endocrinologists who can provide gender-confirming hormone therapy and also give referrals for specialty services.
Payment Options: Tuman Medical Center accepts a variety of insurance options and has a financial counselor to help patients who are uninsured and/or need financial assistance find resources.
Truman Medical Center is located in Kansas City.
Ages of patients served is not stated but appears to be 18+, call the provider to learn if any services are available for <18+.
St. Luke’s Health System (Website – Transgender Health Care Services, FB – St. Luke’s Health System, IG – @saintlukeskc)
St. Luke’s Transgender Health Care Services has a multidiscplinary team to provide the following services: hormone therapy, gender confirmation surgery, primary and wellness care, routine cancer screening, STD screening and PrEP prescriptions, referrals for a variety of services this program doesn’t provide.
Payment Options: St. Luke’s accepts insurance and may be able to help with financial assistance. Qualifying patients can get total bill forgiveness. Click the links for more informattion.
St. Luke’s serves the greater Kansas City area.
Check with the Transgender Health Services program for age limitations on services.
KC Care Health Center (Website – Transgender Clinic, FB – KC Care Health Center, IG – @kccarehealthcenter)
The clinic provide hormone therapy and can connect transgender patients with gender-affirming primary care physicians in the KC Care network as well as provide referrals to gender-affirming surgery. Dr. Grimstad who started the clinic is an OB-Gyn with an interest in transgender care and provides hysterectomies and contraceptive resources.
Payment Options: KC Care Health Center accepts insurance and has options for those who don’t have insurance, click the link paying for your care for more information.
KC Care is located in Kansas City
No age limits are stated but it appears KC Care serves patients 18+, contact the provider to learn if there are services for <18+.
Trust Women Clinic, Witchita (Website – Transgender Health Services, FB –Trust Women Clinics LLC, IG – @trustwomenfoundation)
The Transgender Health Services offered includ hormone therapy, wellness checks, STI and STD testing and treatment, referrals to plastic surgeons, urologists and mental health specialists.
Payment Options: Trust Women Clinic accepts a variety of insurance options and they have a contact available to help those who may need additional funding options, click the link payments for more information.
Trust Women is located in Witchita.
Adolescents and adults are served by Transgender Health Services
Affiliated Reproduct Health Clinics (Website – Transgender Health Care/ Gender Services, FB – arhcnebraska, IG – @arhcnebraska)
The Transgender Health Care/ Gender Services program offers hormone therapy and puberty blockers. The Clinic also provides a large number of sexual health services and referrals to various programs.
Payment Options: Arhc accepts insurance, contact the clinic before your visit to confirm your insurance.
The Transgender Health Care program is in Witchita.
Since the program offers puberty blockers as well as hormone therapy, it is assumed they accept adolescents as well as adults.
The University of Kansas Health System (Website – Transgender Medicine, FB – The University of Kansas Health System, IG – @kuhospital)
The Transgender Medicine program takes a multi-disciplinary approach to transitioning including the following services, hormone replacement therapy, primary care, gender-confirming surgery, voice therapy and vocal surgery and fertility preservation. The program gives referrals for other services that are needed but not provided in this program.
Payment Options: The University of Kansas Health System accepts a variety of insuranc options and will help patients determine if they are eligible for financial assistance click the link billing and insurance for more information.
The University of Kansas Health System is located in Kansas City and multiple other locations across the state.
The program is for adolescents and adults.
Children’s Mercy (Website – Gender Pathway Services, FB – Childrens Mercy, IG – @childrensmercy)
The Gender Pathway Services program is an interdisciplinary, family-centered services for transgender, gender-variant, and gender-questioning children. The services that Children’s Mercy offer are not completely clear. There is a statement that discussion of cross-sex hormones and puberty blocking is availble at appropriate ages, but the appropriate age is not defined – however, the program will monitor hormone treatment and guide parents who are seeking gender-confirmation surgery for their children to appropriate surgeons. Another statement is made which is highlighted for consideration “An endocrinologist will recommend blood work to look for biologic changes that may contribute to feelings of transgender and treat those if needed.”
Payment Options: Children’s Mercy accepts a variety of insurance options and has a financial counselor to guide families who need help finding additional payment options, click the link billing and insurance for more options.
The Gender Pathway Services is located in Kansas City.
This program is for children and adolescents.
Planned Parenthood of Kansas has two health centers that are part of one organization (Website – Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, FB – Planned Parenthood, IG – @plannedparenthood)
The health centers are Wichita Health Center in Wichita which offers gender-confirming hormone therapy. There is a second health center, Comprehensive Health Center in Overland, but Comprehensive Health Center does not list HRT as a service to the LGBTQ community. We recommend calling Comprehensive Health Center first to learn if they do offer gender-affirming HRT. Both health centers offer wellness screenings/ exams, reproductive health, prevention and treatmet of infections, STIs and HIV. Both health centers have telehealth, so it is probably possible to get gender-confirminng hormone therapy throughout Kansas via telehealth from Wichita Health Center.
Payment Options: Many PP Health Centers accept insurance and offer financial help, check with the center for details .
The service is intended for adults 18+, but some 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.
VA Health Care for LGBTQ Veterans in Kansas (Websites – VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System and Robert J. Dole VAMC, 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.
Payment Options: VA Health Care is offered free of charge to veterans. Veterans may have some copays.
VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System has (2) medical centers, Dwight D. Eisenhower Department of VAMC in Leavenworth and Colmery-O’Neil VAMC in Topeka and (8) associated clinics in Kansas City, Chanute, Fort Scott, Garnett, Lawrence and Junction City all in Kansas and Platte City & St. Joseph in Missouri.
Robert J. Dole VAMC Central Iowa has (1) medical center, Rober J. Dole VAMC in Wichita and (5) associated clinics in Dodge City, Hayes, Hutchinson, Parsons, and Salina.
LGBT Veteran Care is for U.S. veterans.
Kentucky
U of L Physicians (Website – LGBTQ Care, FB –U of L Health Physicians , IG – @uoflhealth)
The website doesn’t give specific details about services available, but Pediatric Endocrinology is listed as a program related to LGBTQ Care, so hormone therapy may be available for children adolescents and adults. Contact the provider for details.
Payment Options: U of L Physicians has a financial coordinatore to help with financial assistance, if needed, click the link for more information. Insurance options accepted are not detailed so call the provider to determine if your insurance is accepted.
U of L Physicians is located in Louisville
Age limits for treatment for others beside adults 18+ are not obvious, contact the provider for age limitations on services.
UK Health Care (Website – Transform Health Clinic, FB –UKHealthCare , IG – @transformhealthclinic)
Transform Health Clinic provides the following services – gender affirming hormone therapy. primary and preventative care, HIV prevention and treatment, referrals to gender-confirmation surgeons.
Payment Options: UK Health Care accepts a variety of insurance options and has a financial assistance program, click the links for more information.
UK Health is located in Lexington
Hormone therapy is for older teens and adults, but no age cut-off is given so contact the program for clarity on age limits for services.
VA Health Care for LGBTQ Veterans in Kansas (Websites – Lexington VA Health Care System and Louisville VAMC, 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.
Payment Options: VA Health Care is offered free of charge to veterans. Veterans may have some copays.
Lexington VA Health Care System has (2) medical centers, Troy Bowling Campus and Franklin R. Sousley Campus in both in Lexington and (4) associated clinics in Berea, Hazzzard, Morehead and Somerset.
Louisville VAMC Central Iowa has (1) medical center, Robley Rex Department of VAMC in Louisville and (8) associated clinics in Carrollton, Fort Knox, Hutchinson, Clarkson, and Louisville (3) all in Kentucky and New Albany & Scottsburg both in Indiana.
LGBT Veteran Care is for U.S. veterans.
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.