Islanders seeking gender-affirming care can access it through Health PEI’s Gender Affirming Clinic (GAC), which is located in the Sherwood Medical Centre in Charlottetown.
Brief History of the Gender Affirming Clinic
The GAC first opened in 2021, as a result of the work of Health PEI’s Gender Affirming Steering Committee - a committee that included Health PEI staff and community members—as well as advocacy of trans community members and allies. The goal was to create pathways to provide gender-affirming care to Islanders. As part of the process, the committee, in conjunction with Health PEI, also led education sessions on GAC for health care professionals.
Candice Rochford is a nurse practitioner who operates her own practice in Charlottetown. She provides gender-affirming care, both out of her practice and through the GAC. While she praises the work of the Gender Affirming Steering Committee and Health PEI’s support for gender-affirming care on PEI, she also recognizes the hard work from the trans community (and allies).
“A lot of the creation of the clinic and work on improving coverage for procedures has come as a result of intense advocacy from the community themselves,” says Rochford. “Without that, none of this probably would have happened.”
The first clinic operated out of the Prince County Hospital in Summerside and consisted of one Nurse Practitioner (Candice Rochford) and one physician who met with patients via Zoom. That physician was Dr. Adrian Edgar, who at the time was providing gender-affirming care out of Clinic 554 in Fredericton. While that clinic has since closed due to lack of funding, Dr. Edgar now offers gender-affirming care services out of PEI’s GAC in Charlottetown.
Health PEI’s GAC moved to Charlottetown late 2021 and has expanded its team to include two nurse practitioners, two family physicians, a medical administrator, and a social worker. With the exception of the administrator, these professionals work part-time hours at the GAC.
Prior to 2021, Islanders seeking gender-affirming care either had to approach their primary care provider (a handful of providers offered care back then) or go off-Island.
“The majority of people only had the option of off-Islander care, and since travelling does take financial resources and emotional resources, this wasn’t an option for everyone,” says Rochford. “Some people simply just didn’t receive care. The GAC was a long time coming.”
Gender-Affirming Services
Health PEI’s Gender Affirming Clinic provides various gender-affirming care services for Islanders, including:
- services for medical transition (bloodwork, hormone therapy)
- assistance with surgical transitions (discussions about surgical options, referral for surgical options)
- assistance with paperwork for legal name change/ gender marker changes
- counselling
Rochford is pleased to report that reaction to the clinic has been positive, from both the community and health care providers.
The Clinic supports both patients and other primary health care providers. Both types of support are important since patients will eventually be referred back to their primary health care providers for ongoing care.
“[Gender-affirming care] is a different type of knowledge that not every health provider has, and it’s a lot to learn, so it’s helpful for providers to have somewhere to refer their patients.”
Clinic members work with primary health care providers to support their patients. For any cases where medication is prescribed, a copy of that prescription, along with supplemental information, is sent to the patient’s primacy care provider, if they have one. Additionally, the GAC operates on a gradual discharge process, so primary health care providers are given time to learn about their patients’ needs.
What to Expect at the Clinic
People can self-refer to the GAC (you just need a valid health card). Once the referral is received, the clinic sends the patient an intake form and a questionnaire, which are reviewed during the initial appointment (as of Fall 2024, the wait time for the initial appointment was 4–6 months).
The first appointment typically lasts 90 minutes. Patients can bring a support person, if they wish. If needed, patients will also be connected with other services (bloodwork, social work, etc.).
Typically, the clinic provides follow-up care every 3 months for a while, before initiating a gradual discharge to a primary care provider. If a patient does not have a primary care provider, the clinic will oversee their care until their situation changes.
“Confidentiality is Key”
The team at Health PEI’s GAC strive to create a welcoming and non-threatening environment for all. Anyone coming to the clinic will see trans health stickers displayed and staff wearing pronoun stickers.
Rochford acknowledges that all Health PEI spaces operate on a model of patient confidentiality, and the GAC has enhanced procedures to protect its patients.
The initial intake form that patients receive not only asks the person’s name and pronouns, but it also asks for details on when those names and pronouns can be used. For some people, the name/pronoun they wish health care providers use cannot safely be used at home, for example. Staff at the GAC take extra care to ensure they always uphold their patients’ privacy and safety.
The clinic itself is in a shared space, with a variety of medical offerings, so it isn’t obvious why a person sitting in a waiting room or entering the facility is there, adding another layer of confidentiality.
PEI: A National Leader in Gender-Affirming Care
Currently, PEI offers the second most comprehensive gender-affirming services in the country (Yukon is #1).
While Health PEI’s Gender Affirming Clinic is the result of a lot of advocacy at the community level, now that it’s been open for over four years, Rochford notes that support for the services they provide is growing.
Speaking specifically about primary care providers on PEI, Rochford is pleased to say that, for the most part, providers appreciate the GAC.
“With reassurance and knowledge, most have been supportive of GAC,” Rochford states. “This is within the scope of primary care—so mutual support only serves to better patient care for Islanders.”
Health PEI’s Gender Affirming Clinic operates out of the Sherwood Medical Centre (2nd floor) in Charlottetown. To contact them, you can phone 902-288-1850 or email GAC@ihis.org
Find more information on gender-affirming care information on this website.
Published Date: June 2025
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