Comprehensive Care Designed for You
At Damien Center, our goal is to provide excellent medical care and make sure each and every one of our patients feels welcomed. We pride ourselves on our ability to offer care to people in the LGBTQIA+ community, including comprehensive support for trans and non-binary individuals.
Launched in 2021, our Gender Affirming Care program was designed to address a gap in services for transgender, nonbinary, and gender diverse individuals in Indianapolis. While this program does offer medical interventions, the main goal of is to offer holistic services to the transgender and gender diverse community which includes primary care, hormone replacement therapy, mental health care, dietitian services, HIV care & prevention, family planning, and much more.
When we first get to know you at Damien Center, we will take a full medical history and discuss your individual goals. This appointment will allow you to ask any questions of your provider and get a better understanding of how the gender affirming care programs work at Damien Center. After this appointment, your provider will develop a care plan based on your individual goals and work with you to provide the care and resources that align with your needs.
Meet Your Gender Care Team
Dr. Juan Carlos Venis, MD
Dr. Juan Carlos Venis is a board-certified family physician who is passionate about public health, medical education and providing evidence-based and patient-centered primary care. He is excited to be a part of Damien Center’s continued growth.
He is fluent in Spanish and is particularly experienced in providing care for patients who identify as LGBTQ+ including extensive experience with gender-affirming care and caring for patients living with HIV.
Sondra Smith, MSN, FNP-C, WPATH
Sondra is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She provides primary care, gender affirming care, and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis services. Sondra has a certification through the World Professional Association of Transgender Health. She completed her undergraduate studies at Indiana University Indianapolis and graduate studies at the University of Indianapolis. Sondra's favorite aspects of provide care is patient education, health promotion, and disease prevention.
Alexander Kemery, NP
Alexander recently joined Damien Center to be the lead nurse for our Gender Affirming Care services. They are passionate about gender affirming healthcare and are excited to be able to help offer these services to our clients in the State of Indiana.
Gender Affirming Services Provided
- Primary Medical Care
- Hormone Replacement Therapy
- HIV Treatment
- HIV Prevention (PrEP)
- Mental Health Services
- Reproductive/Fertility Assistance & Family Planning
- Surgery Support Letters
- Social Support Groups
LGBTQIA+ Friendly Providers
Finding LGBTQIA+ friendly service providers can still be a challenge, especially for individuals who are gender diverse. We have compiled a document that has service providers known to be friendly and accepting to the LGBTQIA+ community and offer it to everyone without expectation of becoming a client at Damien Center.
This document includes service providers for:
- Mental Health
- Voice/Speech Therapy
- Hair Removal & Other Non-Surgical Procedures
- Reproductive Health & Family Planning
- Dental
- Support Groups
- Legal Services
If you know of other providers who are friendly to the LGBTQIA+ community, please let us know so we can add them to our directory.
Gender Affirming Care Resources
Outside of Damien Center, there are other organizations in Indianapolis who provide services for the transgender and gender diverse community. Below is a list of other resources in the city.
Gender Nexus
Founded in 2014, this organization provides a safe space for gender diverse individuals and their loved ones.
Senate Enrolled Act 480
Indiana passed a law in 2023, Senate Bill 480, that prohibits a physician or other practitioner from knowingly providing gender transition procedures to any individual who is less than 18 years of age.
As of March 2024, the courts have reinstated the ban on gender transition procedures for any individual who is less than 18 years of age. The Indiana ACLU is appealing this ruling but as this time the SEA 480 has taken effect.
At Damien Center, we are committed to providing comprehensive care for the trans and non-binary community and will continue to monitor developments with this law and how it impacts our ability to provide care to the community.
