Sorry for so many topics this week, still kind of weird to think that I am now partially out of the closet.

Anyways, trying to do some research on the process of medically transitioning through my parents' healthcare provider, which is Kaiser Permanente. So far I have found very little information regarding it in Southern California, most of the stuff I have read seems to be related to the San Francisco area, and I am assuming it isn't the same as it would be for me around the San Diego area(okay, even that is a far drive, but closer than SF).

So, does anyone have any information on their transgender care? I am going to assume that they are not informed consent..

So I'm going through Kaiser as NB and trasmasculine and it's ->-bleeped-<-. You have to go a gender orientation. EVERYONE is required to go and has to waits weeks for an available one. Then you wait 6 more weeks to see a gender therapist to do gender assessment where you are asked informed consent questions. Once you finish the assessment, you can then see a trans endo for your hormones. You will be lucky if you can get hrt in 3 months. The LGBT center is faster.

I'm going to Kaiser Bostonia right now. I was referred by my primary to see someone for anxiety and gender issues. I haven't been to the gender orientation, but I also haven't "told" my therapist that I want to transition. She offered it to me. Maybe I should just go. I think if you call Kaiser, you can go to the orientation without seeing anyone first. Try it.

My experience in Washington has been very good. I scheduled with a therapist where I finally, after six other tries since 1982, and admitted my lifetime confusion. By the third visit a couple weeks later I had my letter to begin HRT. I was assigned a GP who is in communication with the Endo who also happens to be trans. In addition to local treatment for HRT, I was assigned a social worker to help with resources, legal issues (name change) etc. I was also assigned a voice and lifestyle coach, who has been a godsend. Currently if I so choose I can get an Orchi. I am not a candidate for GRS surgery because of other health issues. But MichelleP is going through the GRS process right now with Kaiser in Northern California. You do have to sign up for the program. In the grand scheme of things and the time it takes for hormones and surgeries to do their stuff is not something that happens over night.  So three months is not really a long time to wait. Some of the folks here from the UK have mentioned waiting two years. I had no orientation, per se.  Here is a link for services at Kaiser Southern Cal.  https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/care-near-you/southern-california/transgender/
https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/care-near-you/southern-california/san-diego/locations/
Good luck.

I'm sorry but that website you provided is no longer used by socal kaiser. The transgender care nurse coordinator informed me months ago. Also Washington and socal run differently because they are separate regions. Washington seems much more up to date than socal. Also norcal and socal are considered two different regions even though it's the same state. They're trying merge them right now but it's only with the pharmacy.

Quote from: DawnOday on November 04, 2017, 11:58:18 AM
My experience in Washington has been very good. I scheduled with a therapist where I finally, after six other tries since 1982, and admitted my lifetime confusion. By the third visit a couple weeks later I had my letter to begin HRT. I was assigned a GP who is in communication with the Endo who also happens to be trans. In addition to local treatment for HRT, I was assigned a social worker to help with resources, legal issues (name change) etc. I was also assigned a voice and lifestyle coach, who has been a godsend. Currently if I so choose I can get an Orchi. I am not a candidate for GRS surgery because of other health issues. But MichelleP is going through the GRS process right now with Kaiser in Northern California.  Here is a link for services at Kaiser Southern Cal. 
https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/care-near-you/southern-california/transgender/
Good luck.

Quote from: cinderkaburagi on November 04, 2017, 12:05:18 PM
I'm sorry but that website you provided is no longer used by socal kaiser. The transgender care nurse coordinator informed me months ago. Also Washington and socal run differently because they are separate regions. Washington seems much more up to date than socal. Also norcal and socal are considered two different regions even though it's the same state. They're trying merge them right now but it's only with the pharmacy.

I did find a disconnected link. But this one is dated 2017 and the link does not appear to be disabled.

Did you try the link? Look at the top and it clearly says "So Cal"   Then access the So Cal San Diego area locations and click on specialty care. Transgender service is highlighted in Blue. I just accessed this location virtually seconds ago.
https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/care-near-you/southern-california/san-diego/health-care-services/specialty-care/

Again they don't use that site that you are directed to via that link. It's because it's not secure. The nurse coordinator doesn't know why it's still up either because it shouldn't. So you have to call the transgender care coordinator to get anything done, which they don't give the number until you've gone through the gender orientation which doesn't tell patients how their services works. Whoever is the head of transgender care for Socal Kaiser doesn't know what they're doing because there's a lot if misinformation because the different departments aren't allowed to communicate with one another, so everyone has complained about all the problems getting care in a timely manner. My gender therapist asked me yesterday if I could wait another 2 months to get the referral for hrt while they slowly continue to work out the flaws of their system for transgender patients.

Quote from: DawnOday on November 04, 2017, 12:21:18 PM
I did find a disconnected link. But this one is dated 2017 and the link does not appear to be disabled.

Did you try the link? Look at the top and it clearly says "So Cal"   Then access the So Cal San Diego area locations and click on specialty care. Transgender service is highlighted in Blue. I just accessed this location virtually seconds ago.
https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/care-near-you/southern-california/san-diego/health-care-services/specialty-care/

Try this one: https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/care-near-you/southern-california/transgender/

That's still the same website that they don't use anymore.

Quote from: amandam on November 04, 2017, 07:59:02 PM
Try this one: https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/care-near-you/southern-california/transgender/

The last link is secure and the copyright was updated to 2017. I am not sure if it's the current site but it was last updated in the last 10 months.

Well, I guess I will probably start researching the LGBT center route, since I am not sure about the whole possibility of having to wait another 3 months. Plus, I guess more options are good.

Probably going to be stuck going through Kaiser for now though, at least until I can get my driver's license(pretty much my biggest limiting factor at the moment).