Federal judge stops DOJ's efforts to get UPMC Children's to turn over patient info on gender-affirming care
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Subhead: Judge Cathy Bissoon wrote that the Department of Justice push 'carries more than a whiff of ill-intent'
A federal judge in Pittsburgh has halted the U.S. government’s attempts to force UPMC Children’s Hospital to turn over detailed personal information on minors who have received gender-affirming care there — writing that the Department of Justice push “carries more than a whiff of ill-intent.”
U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon hinged much of her six-page order quashing the DOJ’s motion on a parallel decision issued earlier this month by federal courts in Philadelphia.
The DOJ could not immediately be reached for comment.
Advocates on Friday applauded Judge Bissoon’s ruling.
Read more: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2025/12/26/upmc-gender-affirming-care-subpoena/stories/202512260056
“This ruling,” she said, “protects not only our clients but all families who fear that their private lives could be made public by political actors.”
The Trump administration’s subpoena, which it alleged was in pursuit of uncovering fraud, sought a broad swath of patient-identifying information for anyone under age 19 who has been prescribed hormones or puberty blockers by UPMC since 2020.
In a brief statement when the subpoenas were issued, Attorney General Pam Bondi said: “Medical professionals and organizations that mutilated children in the service of a warped ideology will be held accountable by this Department of Justice.”
Archived (no paywall) here: https://archive.ph/Hx65g
UPMC - University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - is a major hospital/medical center system in Western Pennsylvania, extending into Ohio and eastern PA. UPMC and Childrens Hospital accept patients from around the country and even some foreign patients because of their excellent reputation in certain medical fields.
This is a big story....
