One of Manhattan’s leading hospital systems is stepping away from one of the most politically charged areas of modern medicine.
NYU Langone Health has announced it is discontinuing its Transgender Youth Health Program, citing a combination of leadership changes and an increasingly complex federal regulatory environment. The decision follows mounting pressure tied to potential federal funding consequences and evolving national policy regarding medical treatments for minors experiencing gender dysphoria.
“Given the recent departure of our medical director, coupled with the current regulatory environment, we made the difficult decision to discontinue our Transgender Youth Health Program,” said NYU Langone spokesman Steve Ritea in a statement. The hospital emphasized that pediatric mental health services will continue and that patients currently in care will receive assistance managing the transition.
Visitors to the former program’s webpage are now redirected to a “Gender & Sexuality Service” page. That page outlines mental health support for children and families exploring gender identity, stating that experts can help families understand identity issues and connect children with appropriate medical and psychological services.
The move comes amid sweeping federal scrutiny. Last year, the hospital reportedly stopped admitting new patients to the transgender youth program. That shift followed President Donald Trump’s executive order titled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” which targeted certain medical interventions for minors.
In December 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services proposed new regulations aimed at prohibiting what it described as “sex-rejecting procedures” for minors. The proposed rules would prevent hospitals that perform such procedures on individuals under 18 from receiving Medicaid funding. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated that the administration would use federal authority to halt what it characterized as “unsafe, irreversible practices.”
Local officials have reacted sharply. Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal told The New York Times he understood that NYU Langone planned to halt hormone treatments and other gender-related medical care for transgender youth. He described himself as “horrified” at the potential consequences and argued that hospitals ending such services have a responsibility to help patients find alternative providers quickly.
The decision also arrives amid heightened legal attention in New York. In a separate and unrelated case, a Westchester County jury awarded $2 million to a woman who claimed she was encouraged to undergo a double mastectomy at age 16 while not mentally prepared to make such a permanent decision. The verdict, while not connected to NYU Langone, underscores growing legal risks for providers involved in gender-related medical care for minors.
Whether that judgment influences how institutions across New York handle similar procedures remains uncertain. What is clear is that NYU Langone’s move signals a significant shift in the landscape of pediatric gender medicine in one of the nation’s most prominent healthcare systems.