When Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 254 into law May 17, many members of the transgender community were left unsure about where or how they would be able to access care.
LGBTQ+ civil rights organizations and activists throughout the state are working to change that, including Equality Florida.
“We want you to know that we have your back,” says Press Secretary Brandon Wolf. “We’re partnering with the Campaign For Southern Equality to provide grant funding for those who need to leave the state to access healthcare. We have legal partners we can connect you to if you experience discrimination in our state.”
Contigo Fund also jumped into action, establishing the Central Florida Emergency Trans Care Fund. This fund is set up to assist transgender individuals and their families seeking gender-affirming care outside of the state.
Watermark reached out to some of the local health care providers who have been offering gender-affirming care to ask what they will continue to provide and what the new law prevents them from doing. Visit each organization’s website for more information and for the latest details. You can also read more about Florida’s new anti-LGBTQ+ laws here.
26HEALTH
801 N. Magnolia #402, Orlando
321-800-2922 | 26Health.org
26Health is no longer offering hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, services to patients under the new law. They also have suspended writing letters of recommendation for changing a person’s gender markers on legal documents and surgical clearance letters. They will continue to provide mental health services and primary care options.
“For those particular services, those other services will not change. We follow the American and Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association and American Medical Associations practices when it comes to specialty services, primary care/mental health, so those services don’t change. Specific services that we have unfortunately had to sunset, were again hormone replacement, gender marker letters and things of that nature. Our other primary care, mental health services, depression — those services have not changed,” 26Health President and CEO Syvonne Carter says.
BLISS HEALTH
2901 Curry Ford Rd Suite 106, Orlando
407-203-5984 | BlissHealth.com
Bliss Health has also suspended offering HRT care to patients. The clinic noted in its official statement on its website that patients may experience delays in follow-up appointments as they must be rescheduled with a medical doctor, not a mid-level health care provider like a nurse practitioner. They will also be unable to accept state funds to cover prescription drugs or procedures relating to gender-affirming care, including the 340B program at Bliss Cares.
CREW HEALTH
8601 Commodity Cir, Orlando
407-605-2252 | CrewHealth.org
Crew Health is still able to provide HRT as they were able to hire a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. “The second we heard that this was going to happen, or was a possibility, we got a DO that is in the office as often as possible to make sure this can happen,” says Brittani Acuff, COO of Crew Health.
They also continue to provide services such as PrEP, primary care and HIV care; however, they are unable to provide mental health services at this time. They are also still accepting new patients.
HOPE & HELP
4122 Metric Drive Suite 800, Winter Park
407-645-2577 | HopeAndHelp.org
Hope & Help is continuing to offer HRT care to their patients. They also provide mental health counseling and support groups. Hope and Help did not responded to Watermark’s requests for comment as of press time.
PINEAPPLE HEALTHCARE
1724 33rd St Suite 100, Orlando
407-553-6336 | PineappleHealthcare.com
Pineapple Healthcare is also suspending all HRT services and is not accepting any new HRT patients. They will continue to provide mental health services and letters needed to change legal documents.
“We specialize in primary care, prep and HIV care. We say, ‘We’ll still take care of all that for you,’” Ethan Suarez, president of Pineapple Healthcare, says. “We unfortunately, because of the law, can’t do your hormone therapy, your gender affirming hormones.”
SPEKTRUM HEALTH
5205 S Orange Ave Suite #110, Orlando
1920 S. Babcock St., Melbourne
407-454-1363 | Spektrum.health
SPEKTRUM Health is no longer offering HRT care in their office but is continuing to provide mental health counseling and letters needed for legal document changes.
“We’re not able to do hormones right now just because our providers are nurse practitioners. They’re not physicians or doctors, MD, DOs specifically,” says Lana Dunn, Chief Operating Officer for Spektrum. “So we aren’t able to do that at the moment, however we did make sure that none of our patients will go without medicine while we await the next step. And we have a plan A ,B, C, D, E to ensure that our patients stay in care and engaged with their health care, of course. But all the care we provide here is affirming on just about every level that it can be outside hormone treatment specifically.”
CAN COMMUNITY HEALTH
Multiple locations, Tampa Bay
941-300-4440 | CANCommunityHealth.org
CAN Community Health’s Tampa location previously offered HRT to patients but has confirmed the organization does not have a medical provider that is certified to provide the service at this time.
DIVERSITY HEALTH CENTER
4302 N Habana Ave # 200, Tampa
813-518-0881 | DiversityHealthCenter.com
Diversity Health Center of Tampa Bay lists trans services on its website stating it offers HRT services, consultations on medications and implications prior to starting HRT, preoperative care needed for conformational surgery and letters needed for making changes on legal documents.
“We are currently accepting new patients but, given the inundation of new patients calling, it may take a while before they can be seen,” Dr. David W. Lyter says. He adds that patients will be required to have an informed consent form signed and his office may be suspending telehealth appointments.
METRO INCLUSIVE HEALTH
Multiple locations, Tampa Bay
813-232-3808 | MetroTampaBay.org
Metro Inclusive Health provides many gender-affirming services, including HRT, trans care navigation and consultations, letters of recommendation, counseling services and support groups. Metro is unable to accept new HRT patients at this time.
Brian Bailey, Chief Marketing and Experience Officer at Metro, tells Watermark that there will be “no changes for current patients pending clarification and guidance from the boards.”
