Shame on

Sutter Health

The pressure on them seems to be working!

Without warning,  Sutter Health told providers  it will end all gender-affirming care for patients under 19. In California, denying care because a child is trans isn’t just cruel—it’s discriminatory. We are joining families and advocates demanding Sutter reverse this decision now.

Here’s what you can do right now to help:

1.

EMAIL  Sutter’s Leadership

Rainbow Families Action put together the awesome email template below!

You don’t have to be local. We have the backs of all of our families and if they want to cut off kids who go to Sutter, they’ll have to go through ALL of us.

Sutter Health Leadership:

warner.thomas@sutterhealth.org (CEO)
todd.smith2@sutterhealth.org (Physician leader)
conrad.vial@sutterhealth.org (Physician leader, chair of Pride resource group)
william.isenberg@sutterhealth.org (Medical & Quality)
caren.weakley@sutterhealth.org (Legal)
chappeg@sutterhealth.org (Ethics/Compliance)
grace.davis@sutterhealth.org (External Affairs)
dana.beckton@sutterhealth.org (Diversity & Inclusion)

Email Template

(Personalize with whatever you have time for)

Subject: Please do the right thing and stand up for trans youth!
——–

Dear Sutter leadership team:

I am writing to express my outrage regarding Sutter Health’s reported plans to stop gender-affirming care for patients under the age of 19. While the current federal administration is attempting to ban access to vital, life-saving healthcare for trans kids, nothing legally requires Sutter to end these services now. Sutter would be acting contrary to California law, which is clear: “state law protects [residents] from discrimination and guarantees access to medically necessary care for everyone, regardless of gender identity.” To add insult to injury, Sutter Health notified caregivers of this change on Transgender Day of Remembrance and just after open enrollment closed, essentially trapping members in their system without needed care.

When asked about this by the media, you responded that “our top priority is open and thoughtful conversations between physicians and their patients to determine the best path forward for individual care plans”. But since no explanation has been provided and families have actually been left out of the loop, we can only assume that Sutter has abandoned that path and is choosing to pre-emptively bow to political pressure and override medical judgment and patient need. This decision puts patients’ lives at risk and prevents healthcare providers from delivering the safe, effective care their patients depend on.

Research by Human Rights Watch has documented the severe consequences when gender-affirming care is denied: increased anxiety, depression, and suicide attempts. Without access to appropriate care, transgender youth face unnecessary suffering and harm.

Every major medical association, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Endocrine Society, recognizes gender-affirming care as evidence-based, medically necessary treatment. By stopping this care, Sutter is abandoning its medical expertise and the patients who depend on it.

Transgender people are our neighbors, family members, colleagues, and friends. They are Sutter patients who deserve the same access to medically appropriate care as anyone else — and are entitled to it under California law. I demand that Sutter bring families to the table and end these discriminatory plans by ensuring gender-affirming care will be available to all patients, regardless of age.

With urgency,

[Your Name, and Affiliation]

2.

CALL  Sutter’s Ethical  & Compliance Hotline

1-800-500-1950

Sutter would be acting contrary to California law, which  is clear:

“state law protects [residents] from discrimination and guarantees access to medically necessary care for everyone, regardless of gender identity.”

3.

Take to SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow @PFLAGSF

Like any post you see from PFLAG chapters, Rainbow Family Action, or any other posts amplifying this message

Post feel free to use one of the images below or create your own message to Sutter. Make sure to include @Sutterhealth Here is something you can adapt:

I’m appalled to see this news that @Sutterhealth is ending gender-affirming care for minors, “to ensure compliance with recent federal actions.” There has been a lot of federal bullying of various groups — are other healthcare providers going to pro-actively end access to abortion, vaccines, and any care that the Trump Administration doesn’t like? I hope not, [@ tag your healthcare provider].

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