Tamara Pietzke is a single mother of three and used to be a therapist at MultiCare, one of the largest hospital systems in the state of Washington. She has dedicated her entire career to helping people of all ages through hard times and is passionate about protecting the best interests of her vulnerable clients.
So, when Pietzke was pressured by MultiCare’s pediatric hospital to approve all treatments that alter the reproductive anatomy of minors, regardless of the risks, she had to speak out.
On February 5, 2024, she blew the whistle on MultiCare’s pediatric hospital after resigning from her position and finding a new job. Just days later, she was fired from her new position.
According to the Free Press, “When her story came out, Tamara had left her job at [MultiCare] and was just three weeks into her new one. Days later, her boss called and asked for her resignation. Tamara was given no reason for the termination.”
Pietzke’s stories paint a vivid and upsetting picture of exactly how reckless the treatment pipeline has become for youth who identify as transgender. One of her most heartbreaking accounts tells the astounding story of a severely troubled 13-year-old named Ava.
Despite a troubling personal history of trauma, sexual abuse, and mental health diagnoses, Ava was approved by MultiCare’s pediatric gender clinic for testosterone on her first visit. She was one of many troubled children the hospital was rushing into irreversible treatments without sufficient investigation and safeguards.
Anyone who questioned whether these life-changing treatments were in the best interests of their young patients was instructed to examine their own “biases.” When Pietzke shared concerns with her colleagues and supervisor about Ava’s case (using supportive citations from standards of care), she was patronized, dismissed, and ignored.
Pietzke was not ready to give up. Given the irreversible risks of hormone therapy, and the complete lack of thoughtful analysis surrounding Ava’s history, diagnoses, and behaviors, she could not sign a letter of support for the 13-year-old to start taking testosterone.
The hospital transferred Ava to another therapist. Pietzke left shortly after and blew the whistle on the whole operation.
Her new boss never gave a reason for firing her, but Pietzke suspects it was retribution for being a whistleblower against MultiCare. Apparently, radical clinicians are fine with pushing irreversible treatments onto troubled children—they just aren’t okay with people talking about it. They’d rather do it in the shadows.
