Texas Hospital Denies Outside Influence Caused Termination of Transgender Program

Hospital leaders tell judge they alone terminated transgender youth treatments

The office of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, pictured here in Oct. of 2021, put pressure on the UT Southwestern Medical Center's treatments for transgender youth, said Dr. Ximena Lopez in a court hearing on April 11, 2022. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Two hospital leaders have denied that outside influence—including from the state government—led to the termination of the transgender program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in November 2021.

UT Southwestern President Dr. Daniel Podolsky and CEO John J. Warner told a Texas judge on April 11 that they rescinded some medical treatments in November 2021 from their own considerations and not because of “third party” pressures.