Pro-Bono Breast Aug.

[AllyInVT]

Hello, My name is Ally and I'm a 25 year old trans women from Vermont. I havent been able to work at all due to my transition and finding someone willing to hire me. I cannot describe the level of improvement in my quality of life that would result from breast implants. Do you have any advice on how i can get a reduced rate for implants? This is not simply cosmetic but something i need to be seen, and treated like the lady I am. Thank you so much for this forum and for the help you give!

Warmly,

Ally

[Howard Rosenberg, MD]

The only possibility that may work is to be seen at a university teaching hospital with a plastic surgery training program.

[AllyInVT]

Below you will find a transcript of a E-mail between myself and the senior practice manager at the Dartmouth Hitchcock medical center in Lebanon, NH which is also operated by the Dartmouth medical school of the prestigious ivy league Dartmouth College of Hanover, NH.


From: Allanah Collina [mailto:***@****]
Sent: Saturday, June 05, 2010 10:29 PM
To: carolyn.***@****
Subject: Breast Augmentation.

Dear Dr. Kerrigan,

I am writing this e-mail to ask for your help and advice. I am a 25 year old trans women. I am confident in my appearance except for the fact that I have extremely small breasts. Due to my transition I have not be able to find a job for going on 2 years, so money is not where i consider myself to be richest. I spoke with another surgeon and he suggested I contact a University where I might be able to get a reduced rate on breast augmentation. I contacted you because you were the only surgeon on the list that was female and I feel maybe you could understand more what it would feel like to be seen without breast. I thank you for your time and hope to hear back from you.


God bless,

Ally



From: Barbara E. Rieseberg
To: "***@****"
Sent: Mon, June 7, 2010 8:41:04 AM
Subject: FW: Breast Augmentation.

Dear Ms Collina,

Dr. Kerrigan forwarded your email to me to see if we could help, yet unfortunately we cannot.  We are unable to provide free or discounted services for the cosmetic services we provide.  We do wish it was better news and hope that you will find someone who can be of service to you.

Thank you for thinking of us –

Barbara E. Rieseberg, Senior Practice Manager
Plastic Surgery and Maxillofacial Surgery
Manager, Shared Decision Making Program
Manager, Shared Medical Appointments Program
Administrator, Ambulatory Performance Improvement Dept



Dear Ms. Reiseberg,

I thank you for your response but I must say I am a bit offended you would consider this merely cosmetic. Dartmouth is given a gift by the community every time a patient lets a medical student enter the room to, observe and operation, examine a injury/illness, and ultimately enter into the most private and vulnerable moments in a persons life. I find it hard to accept your statement of being "unable to provide free or discounted services." Dartmouth, i believed was capable of anything.

Keeping the faith,

Ally Collina


CC: DMS Deans's Office