As medical patients, we are all owed the highest level of privacy and respect. In the United States, this privacy is protected by a law called HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).
Privileged health information is highly sensitive, and can be misused by bad actors in myriad ways -- from identity theft, to discrimination in the workplace or by insurers, and so on. Privacy in a healthcare setting is also vital in facilitating effective healthcare! If someone feels they cannot trust their medical provider, they're less likely to be open and honest about what's going on or what help they need, which leads to worse health outcomes.
HIPAA is the cornerstone of ethical, effective healthcare -- which is why
it is so shocking that a Texas surgeon who violated the HIPAA rights of trans children has not been held accountable!Sign the petition and demand that the Texas Medical Board (TMB) revoke the license of the surgeon who leaked children's medical records to conservative activists!That's right --
not only did Dr. Ethan Haim obtain the medical records of children who were not his patients; he then took that information and sent it to a conservative media contact with "intent to cause malicious harm" to the hospital caring for those children. A news story was then published about the hospital's care for transgender youth.
You see, those kids were patients at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, and were receiving gender-affirming care, which was legal in Texas at the time. Gender-affirming care for minors has since been banned in Texas, meaning trans kids and their families in the state are completely cut off from access to lifesaving medicine.
This move from Dr. Haim was in direct violation of HIPAA, and is absolutely gut wrenching in the context of the United States today.
Transgender people are under attack, and transgender youth are particularly vulnerable as their medical care is being restricted in over half of all states. In these states,
suicide attempts by trans and gender non-conforming teenagers rose by 72%. These states are basically trying to deny trans kids rights to exist, and it's killing them.
Shockingly, the Department of Justice
dropped the case against Dr. Haim, which is a chilling reminder of the anti-trans movement fueled by the current Trump administration and its government. We cannot let conservative extremists victimize children in this way.
We are asking that the TMB uphold the highest level of medical ethics and revoke Dr. Haim's license for violating these children's rights under HIPAA. It is only right that he be barred from practicing medicine after such a gross violation of medical privacy law, especially against kids.
Sign the petition to demand Dr. Haim's license be revoked in Texas!