The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is investigating “major pediatric teaching hospitals” for allegedly dismissal of nurses who sought religious exemptions to avoid administering adolescent blockers and sex crosshormones to children.
“The department will strongly enforce federal laws protecting these brave whistleblowers, including laws that will prevent healthcare professionals from being forced to violate religious and moral beliefs,” HHS OCR Director Anthony Archeval said in a statement.
Although HHS has not confirmed the hospital's identity, it is believed to be Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), the largest children's hospital in the United States, as the investigation follows testimony at Capitol Hill by whistleblower nurse Vanessa Sivadge. Sivadge was first released in June 2024 and was fired in August 2024.
Protesters during a rally in Churchill Square in support of trans youth in Alberta following the “Sing With Love” concert at McDougal United Church on February 11, 2024 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Artur widak/nurphoto via Getty Images)
Spar, a whistleblower who exposed children's hospitals due to trans surgery on minors
Sivadge told lawmakers he witnessed “concerning disturbing trends and practices” related to the treatment of children diagnosed with gender discomfort. She also said she had “observed a powerful and irreversible effect” of treatments that patients were told to “save life.”
“I have firsthand witnessed that if doctors did not affirm their child's false identity, they would be harmed by their child. Many suffered from sexual abuse and trauma, especially seeing young girls struggling with deep mental health struggles like depression and anxiety.
Dr. Eisin Heim will speak to the media after appearing at an arrest hearing in Houston on Monday, June 17, 2024. Heim, known as a whistleblower for minor transgender care, has been charged with federal accusations of illegally obtaining personal information about patients not receiving his care, with the aim of harming the nation's largest children's hospital. He pleaded not guilty. (Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Hospital warned that children must be protected from chemical and surgical amputations: HHS Agency Notes
Accused of violating HIPAA during surgical training at Baylor College of Medicine College, a member of TCH, Dr. Eissanheim blew the hospital whis because he “lied about the existence of a transgender program.” Biden Dozi brought charges against Heim about alleged HIPAA violations, but the incident was eventually removed under the Trump administration.
Heim argued that the hospital was engaged in fraudulent claims practices to hide the fact that it was carrying out transgender procedures against minors, despite violating Texas law. This included a record of mastectomy as a “breast reduction” surgery and a testosterone request prescribed by a teenage girl under a male diagnosis.
The HHS memo reminds hospitals and healthcare providers about Trump's policies banning children from amputating. (Getty Images)
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In her testimony, Shivadge said that federal agents came to her home when investigating whistleblowers, now known to be Heim, due to objections to transgender medicine. She described the interaction as intimidating, saying that one special agent “had effectively asked me to compromise my Christian beliefs and poses a veiled threat to my career and safety if I did not follow their requests.”
Sivadge's attorney filed a complaint with the U.S. Employment Opportunity Committee (EEOC) on April 11th. She argues that “there are few deliberations or critical analysis and embarks children on dangerous and often irreversible courses of “gender-supported” treatment.”
According to the complaint, TCH suspended gender maintenance services “temporarily” for minors after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in February 2022 that such treatment could constitute child abuse. According to Shivadge's lawyers, treatment was banned in the state following the passage of the bill that came into effect in September 2023 in May 2023. She asked in May 2024 to return to heart disease, citing her religious beliefs.
Sivadge blew whi at TCH on June 18, 2024 and was asked not to report work the next day. Just a few days later, on June 21st, she was placed on administrative leave and officially ended in August 2024. TCH argued that her termination of employment was due to inappropriate access to medical records.
On January 28, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an order to “protect children from chemical and surgical amputations” to prevent minors from receiving transgender treatment. In accordance with this order, the HHS issued guidelines for whistleblowers.
Fox News contacted TCH and HHS for comments.
