I'm looking for information on Informed Consent clinics in Maryland. When I had looked into it over a year ago, Chase-Brexton in Baltimore was listed as being Informed Consent. However, I'm no longer able to find them listed anywhere even though they still seem to be VERY LGBT friendly, and offer many Trans services and such.

Last time I called and spoke to someone, they gave me the run around and eventually put me on the phone with someone who didn't even seem to know they offered any Trans services, otherwise I'd just give them a call and ask.

Does anyone know if this is still something they offer? My last trip to DC cost me $80 for gas and parking, and my Medicaid would not cover any costs because it is outside of the state, so I feel like currently Chase-Brexton is my only hope. Unfortunately, money is very tight and I'm worried about spending the gas to go down into the city to find out they don't even offer it anymore.

Is there anyone who goes there or has been there recently who can confirm whether or not they still offer that?

Try John's Hopkins hospital and see if they can help you. I was informed by some others on the forum that the hospital has dealt with transgender issues in the past. Its a phone call and won't cost you parking.

sam1234

Quote from: sam1234 on February 26, 2015, 12:56:00 PM
Try John's Hopkins hospital and see if they can help you. I was informed by some others on the forum that the hospital has dealt with transgender issues in the past. Its a phone call and won't cost you parking.

NO. Don't. My experience there was awful, as were other people I've talked to. They were disrespectful and unaffirming.

Read this if you're tempted to try Johns Hopkins:https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,128215.0.html

Most of the transwomen I know in the Baltimore Area go to Dr. Sam Westrick 6080 Falls Road #204, Baltimore, MD 21209
(410) 323-2757. I can vouch for him personally. He understands trans people and why hormones are important to us.

I had trouble getting an appointment at CBHS, but if you want to try them, they seem to be alive and well here: http://chasebrexton.org/

Just last week at Whittmann-walker I was told to refer my MD friends to Chase Braxton so, it must be okay I would think.

@suzifommd
Oh, wow, your experience sounds pretty awful. Regardless, I wouldn't have tried them anyway. My friend went to their ER once and they told her everything would be covered under her Medicaid. Low and behold, they've been harassing her for money for a while now, threatening to take her to court, and eventually she settled to have them take almost half of her already low paychecks. For something they told her she was covered for. I've just overall heard bad things about that place (despite how medically advanced they act like they are).
Does this Dr. Westrick require a year of therapy before prescribing hormones?

@Hikari
Thanks for your input, maybe I'll give them a try and keep my fingers crossed! I just find it so strange that they're no longer listed on all these other sites suddenly...

Quote from: D0LL on February 26, 2015, 01:30:59 PM
Does this Dr. Westrick require a year of therapy before prescribing hormones?

Gawd no. I hope NOBODY in 2015 requires a year of therapy. Some people seem to be asking for 3 months, but current WPATH guidelines don't call for any therapy at all, though they do like people to have a psych eval.

Westrick knew the therapist I was seeing and took my word for it that I was sure. Didn't ask for a letter. I think he just wanted to be able to write something on my chart saying he'd asked me questions. Don't know what he'd do in your case, though the way he works is that you see him for an initial appointment where he examines you and prescribes bloodwork. Then you come back some weeks later and get your prescription, so if he has some requirement for you, he can tell you during that initial appointment. If it turns out you do need some kind of psych eval, I can give you a few names.

WPATH guidelines are just that guidelines.

I agree with Suzi in 2015 the major stupid imposed hoops should be at a minimal.

There has been more then enough knowledge from the number of patients treated each year that are on HRT.

I do believe though everyone needs a therapist to help guide them through the steps and process.

Yes before I get bashed I do not see imposed limits that many therapist are asking. They are the ones I would stay away from anyway.

Self consent on HRT I see no trouble other then most be a better education process for them to understand what HRT means and what I can or can not due.

There is where the myths should be answered.

I was in the southern shore area and I just used my PCP for my HRT therapy.

Lots of luck and someday life should become easier for us.

Do not do John's Hopkins. They have a terrible opinion of transgender, just short of the whole "it can be cured" opinion. There were several news articles that came out talking about what the lead doctors were saying. Talk about turning away business...

Quote from: ChelseaAnn on February 27, 2015, 08:19:30 PM
Do not do John's Hopkins. They have a terrible opinion of transgender, just short of the whole "it can be cured" opinion. There were several news articles that came out talking about what the lead doctors were saying. Talk about turning away business...

I should point out that this was a while ago, and those doctors are no longer associated with Johns Hopkins. Hopkins is using that to try to rehabilitate their image and claim that they've changed.

Don't believe it. They haven't. They are still as disdainful of trans people as when Paul McHugh ran the place. I complained about my treatment through multiple channels and was basically brushed off.  If you're reading this and thinking of going to the Johns Hopkins Sexual Behaviors Unit, stay away!

Several members of my group DO NOT recommend John Hopkins saying run don't walk away from them.

Depending where in MD you are, everyone raves about Whitman-Walker in DC. Great medical, psychological, and legal help help for TG's

Just gonna leave my experience of Chase-Brexton here in case anyone finds this thread again.

DO. NOT. GO HERE.

I made my appt. in April, they couldn't get me in until almost August. Then they cancelled on me last minute (I almost killed myself the day I was supposed to be going there to get help finally). I didn't see a doctor until late August. The woman barely talked to me and told me I needed to go to a therapist before she would prescribe anything (even though they USED to do informed consent; if I'd gone before they changed, I would have just signed a paper and gotten my hormones a month later). Despite my incredibly busy schedule, I was forced to make 4 therapist appts. before my second appt. with her two months later.

The first therapist I saw was at Chase, and she was pushy, mumbled a LOT, and acted like she wasn't going to sign off on me being ready unless I started attending group therapy (NOT a requirement and I told her I was NOT doing that). I had to start seeing a therapist in my area, and had to work with them a lot in order to get 4 appts. in time for my next doctor appointment.

The next time I saw my doctor, she was an HOUR late to my appt. (which made me an hour late back to work). She never told me my starting hormone levels, nothing. Just suddenly started talking about how I needed to reschedule for an appt. in 3 weeks to learn how to give myself shots. I did NOT ask for shots, would NOT inject myself and wanted the gel. She seemed hesitant, walked away for a few, and came back assuring me that my insurance did cover the gel and wrote me a script (I'd assumed she had called them or something). The gel ended up being $450 a month, and NOT covered by ins. I could not get a hold of my doctor or anyone in her office to reschedule, so had to take off a day from work and go in for a walk-in appt (where they were actually able to schedule me with her that day instead).

She was OVER AN HOUR LATE this time (I spent 5 hours in the building that day, most of it waiting). Barely had time to see me (apparently I'm the least concern of all her other patients). Didn't discuss any types of shots or anything, just wrote a script and left. When I looked at it, it was for intramuscular, NOT Subcutaneous (which is what I wanted). Because she didn't ask and just assumed, I had to miss my first shot appt. that Monday and wait OVER A WEEK because I could NOT get a hold of this woman to have her correct it (I called so many times, left soooo many messages). She never even got on the phone with me, and had someone else talk to me. When I finally got the shot, the MA who did it looked like she had no idea what she was doing, and did some things that I KNOW they teach you NOT to do in Med School (she used gauze to dry the alcohol before my shot, put it on the bare counter, and picked it up and used it to cover my shot when she pulled the needle out). I LOVE BACTERIA IN MY OPEN WOUNDS. THANKS, MORONS.

At this point, I have no idea when to schedule my next appt. with my doctor. She said I can't even schedule it yet, I have no idea when I'm able to schedule it. All I know is it's supposed to be 3 months from my last appt. and her schedule isn't ready that far in advance yet.

She also prescribed a few things for my asthma. The inhaler sent me to the hospital (I have very rare, severe side effects). They didn't even want to schedule me for an appointment after that. Like, Okay you guys, that could have killed me, let's not try to look into this. When I told her what it did to me, she prescribed me something else and told me it has no side effects (always a lie for anything). When I went home and looked it up, it had common side effects almost as bad as what I experienced, including anal leaking, panic attacks (a side effect of the inhaler that almost made me kill myself) and suicidal/violent tendencies. Oh, this medicine gave you all these rare horrible side effects? Here's one that gives you those and then some, and the side effects are much more common on these meds! But "there are no side effects".

This place is horrible. They have way too many patients, so they can't even be bothered to help anyone. All of my appts. I'm left completely clueless as to what's going on with my treatment, and she obviously rushes through seeing me every single time. I'm desperately trying to find a new doctor before my next appointment so I don't have to waste any more time and sanity at that awful place.

You have been warned.