Surgeons
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[edit] Warnings
Baystate Medical Center and Top Surgery Letters
Baystate Plastic Surgery Policy
At this time Dr. Johnson of Baystate Medical Center will not write letters with the wording "irreversible sex re-assignment" for top surgery. Without a surgeon's letter of "irreversible sex re-assignment" a person would not be able to change the gender marker on their birth certificate (if their state allows that), U.S. INS immigration documents, U.S. Passport, or Social Security.
Dr. Melissa Johnson, MD
Baystate Medical Center, Suite 309
Springfield, MA 01056
413-794-5363
Open Letter to Baystate Hospital from GLAD, NE Transgender Pride, and Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition
May 2008
To Whom It May Concern:
We are writing to let you know about a very troubling situation that has been on-going for some time now at Baystate Hospital. Two of the doctors affiliated with the hospital, Dr. Steuber (now retired) and Dr. Johnson, have been providing surgical services to members of the transgender community, but not providing surgical letters that are sufficient for many of their female-to-male (“FTM”) transgender patients to get the legal document changes that we need.
This has had a very serious effect on people’s lives and despite efforts to explain the importance of these letters to the doctor providing the surgical services, Dr Johnson has refused to change her policies. We are writing to ask you to get involved with us to help educate this doctor about the importance of providing full and complete care to their transgender patients which includes their providing us with full, accurate, and legally sufficient documentation. We are also writing because we believe it is essential that members of the community know about this situation and do not unknowingly schedule surgeries with this doctor with the expectation of receiving full and complete documentation.
The situation primarily affects FTMs who have top surgery with these doctors. As you know, top surgery is essential for many FTMs to complete our process of transitioning from female to male. For many of us, it is the exclusive surgery that is medically necessary and alone completes our process of transition. As you may also know, many government agencies require a surgical letter in order to change the gender marker including on our driver’s licenses, birth certificates, and social security records. In many states, that letter must state that the surgery was for purposes of sex reassignment and that it completes the process of transition for the patient. For many of us, that is certainly the case for the top surgeries we must undergo. Despite all of this, Dr Johnson refuse to issue letters to her patients that are consistent with our medical and legal needs.
We have every right to expect that complete patient care includes the surgical letter we need to complete our transition and to live our lives consistent with our gender identity having completed that course of medical care.
If you wish to support efforts to educate Dr. Johnson about the importance of this issue to our community, please consider sending them a letter explaining your concerns and the importance of these concerns to your life.
Dr. Johnson
Baystate Plastic Surgery
2 Medical Center Drive, Suite 309
Springfield, MA 01107
(413) 794-5363
[edit] Sites with Surgeon Listings
See extensive surgeon listings at http://www.t-vox.org/index.php?title=Surgeons
TransBucket.com An ongoing project dedicated to the collection of images and information related to transsexual sugeries. Created and maintained by members of the queer/trans community, the site intends to act as a resource to all of those seeking assistance in choosing the surgery and/or surgeon that is right for them, as well as serving in the preservation of images related to our experiences.
Transster - This website seems to be no longer be working
[edit] FTM Top Surgery
Dr. Michael Brownstein
1001 Mariposa St., Ste. 101
San Francisco, CA 94107
toll free 877-255-2081
415-255-2080
mlb@brownsteinmd.com
Dr. Beverly Fischer
12205-12207 Tullamore Rd.
Timonium, MD 21093
(410) 308-4700
beverly@beverlyfischer.com
Dr. Sherman Leis
19 Montgomery Ave Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004-2601
610-667-1888
drshermanleis@drshermanleis.com
Dr. Pierre Brassard MD
Montreal GRS Clinic
GRS Surgeon in Montreal, Canada
MTF and FTM
Paul Costas, MD
Concord Plastic Surgery, Inc.
John Cuming Building, Suite 700
Concord, MA 01742
978-369-1579 (ask for secretary Pat)
Dr. Daniel Medalie
Cleveland Plastic Surgery
MetroHealth Medical Center
2500 MetroHealth Drive
Cleveland, OH 44109
216-778-4450
info@clevelandplasticsurgery.com
Dr. Charles Garramone
220 SW 84th Ave.
Plantation, FL 33324
954-473-2454
drgarramone@drgarramone.com
Dr. Horowitz MD,FACS
7677 Center Ave, Suite 401-Huntington Beach, CA 92647
(714) 902-1111 ext.135
plasticosfoundation@yahoo.com
Jed Horowitz is the Vice President of the Plasticos Foundation. He began his plastic surgery career at the University of Virginia where he performed several complex reconstructive surgeries for children. He became member of numerous medical societies and organizations like the American College of Surgeons and American Board of Plastic Surgery. His skills as a plastic surgeon have been also recognized in different publications such as “Guide to Top Doctors” and “Who’s Who in the West”. Aside from being a dedicated plastic surgeon, Dr. Horowitz is also a writer and he already published several articles with regards to his field – plastic surgery.
[edit] MTF SRS
Dr. Marci Bowers, MD
328 Bonaventure Street, Suite #2
Trinidad, CO 81082
Phone: (719) 846-6300
info@marcibowers.com
Marci is herself a transwoman. She is intelligent and a good surgeon, and recently took over the practice of Dr. Stanley Biber, learning from him and bringing a higher level of trans awareness and responsibility to what is surely the leading MTF SRS practice.
Dr. Sherman Leis
19 Montgomery Ave Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004-2601
610-667-1888
drshermanleis@drshermanleis.com
Studied under Dr. Bowers
Montreal GRS Clinic Dr. Pierre Brassard MD GRS Surgeon in Montreal, Canada MTF and FTM
[edit] Financial Assistance
Jim Collins Foundation The mission of the Jim Collins Foundation is to provide financial assistance to transgender people for gender-confirming surgeries. The Jim Collins Foundation recognizes that not every transgender person needs or wants surgery to achieve a healthy transition. But for those who do, gender-confirming surgeries are an important step in their transition to being their true selves. However, access to gender-confirming surgery is impossible for most. Discrimination against transgender people is so prevalent that many transgender people struggle to survive, never mind save for surgery costs. Even for those who have health insurance, coverage is systematically denied. Many insurance policies contain a “Transsexual Exclusion Clause” which excludes all medical procedures related to a person’s transgender status. For many transgender people, access to surgery is out of reach. The Jim Collins Foundation raises money to fund gender-confirming surgeries for those transgender people who need surgery to live a healthy life, but have no ability to pay for it themselves. We recognize that for those people who require surgery for a healthy gender transition, lack of access to surgery may result in hopelessness, depression, and sometimes, suicide. The Jim Collins Foundation is a community-based initiative promoting the self-determination and empowerment of all transgender people.
