French Hospital Medical Center and Marian Regional Medical Center have been recognized as LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader and Top Performer in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). French attained the “Leader in LGBTQ+ Healthcare” status, receiving the maximum score in each reporting section. Marian is ranked as a “Top Performer” due to its adherence to the Ethical and Religious Directives.
In the 2022 report, 496 facilities earned HRC’s “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation, earning an overall score of 100. Another 251 facilities earned the “Top Performer” designation with scores between 80 and 95 points and at least partial credit in each section. With 82% of participating facilities scoring 80 points or more, health care facilities are demonstrating concretely that they are going beyond the basics when it comes to developing, adopting, and implementing policies and practices in LGBTQ+ care. French and Marian are among dozens of Dignity Health care sites recognized in the 2022 HEI.
The HEI is the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey of healthcare facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of their LGBTQ+ patients, visitors, and employees.
The HEI evaluates and scores healthcare facilities on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:
· Foundational Policies and Training in LGBTQ+ Patient-Centered Care;
· LGBTQ+ Patient Services and Support;
· Employee Benefits and Policies; and,
· Patient and Community Engagement.
LGBTQ+ patients have historically faced significant and longstanding challenges to accessing the care they need, Dignity Health Central Coast is committed to providing welcoming, compassionate care for LGBTQ+ patients and their families.
“Every person deserves to have access to quality healthcare, be respected and heard by their doctor, and feel safe in the facility where they are receiving care. But LGBTQ+ people are often subject to discrimination in all spaces, including healthcare facilities, which leads to members of the community avoiding care and anticipating our voices will not be respected in an incredibly vulnerable environment,” said Tari Hanneman, Director of Health & Aging at The Human Rights Campaign. “The Healthcare Equality Index, at its core, strives to ensure LGBTQ+ people are protected and affirmed by their healthcare providers and feel safe seeking services. Our HEI active participants are truly pioneering the healthcare industry by implementing robust, comprehensive LGBTQ+ inclusive policies that hopefully, because of their work, will become standard practice.”
As part of the HEI process, both French Hospital and Marian Regional worked with a nationally recognized LGBTQ+ health expert to undertake a comprehensive review of LGBTQ+ care policies and practices within the organization. Both facilities updated dozens of policies to support LGBTQ+ health care outcomes, expanded training for staff and clinicians, updated patient forms and IT processes to better capture preferred pronouns and solicit feedback from LGBTQ+ patients, created the role of an LGBTQ+ patient advocate, and clarified wording in employee benefits to be explicitly inclusive of LGBTQ+ employees – to name just a few examples.
For more information about our commitment to LGBTQ+ care, visit www.dignityhealth.org/lgbtqcare.