A Texas registered nurse has alleged that FBI agents threatened her at her home following her accusations of Medicaid fraud at Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) in Houston. The nurse claims that the hospital’s practices regarding gender interventions for minors are fraudulent and that her whistleblowing has drawn unwanted attention from federal authorities.
Vanessa Sivadge came forward last year, alleging that TCH was prioritizing “gender-affirming care” over the psychological health of young patients. Her concerns echo previous reports, including a May 2023 story by journalist Christopher Rufo, which suggested that the hospital continued to prescribe puberty blockers despite asserting that such procedures had ceased.
TCH publicly announced a suspension of gender-related procedures following a 2022 opinion from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, which classified certain sex-change procedures for minors as “child abuse.” Sivadge’s claims, however, suggest that the hospital did not comply fully with this directive. According to her, the hospital has been engaging in practices contrary to Texas law by fraudulently billing Medicaid for these interventions.