The Human Rights Campaign’s index of health-care facilities that are excelling at LGBT inclusion grew by a huge margin this year — including the addition of a number of facilities in the Philadelphia region.
The annual report rated 464 health-care entities as “Leaders in LGBT Health-care Equality,” compared with just 234 last year. A total of 718 facilities were surveyed across the nation.
The report evaluated facilities based on four main criteria — patient and employment nondiscrimination policies inclusive of both sexual orientation and gender identity, a visitation policy that explicitly states that LGBT patients have equal rights and LGBT-specific training for key staff members — with participants that meet all four being named as Leaders.
Pennsylvania had eight such designees: Mazzoni Center, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Veterans Health Administration facilities in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Wilkes Barre, Butler, Altoona and Erie.
New Jersey had five Leaders: AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City, Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey in Basking Ride, Morristown Medical Center, Shore Medical Center in Somers Point and the Veterans Administration New Jersey Health-care System in East Orange.
Both Mazzoni and AtlantiCare were named Leaders last year as well.
“We are honored to be recognized for a second year as a leader in health-care equality for the LGBT population,” said Richard Gulite, co-chair of AtlantiCare’s LGBT employee resource group.
ERG co-chair Alison Maxfield added that it is “important for health care to be accessible to and supportive of all community members, and I am proud to work for an organization that embraces diversity and offers equitable treatment to all populations.”
In 2012, the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey participated but did not achieve full marks and did not participate this year. In Pennsylvania, Abington Memorial Hospital participated last year but not in 2013. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia participated both years but does not have a patient nondiscrimination policy inclusive of gender identity.
Overall, 93 percent of participants have a patient nondiscrimination inclusive of sexual orientation, and 87 percent have a policy that extends to gender identity. Ninety percent include a visitation policy with stated rights for same-sex couples and parents. Nearly 5,000 health-care professionals nationwide were trained on LGBT issues as part of the HEI.
The 2013 report marks the first time that health-care facilities in all 50 states participated, and this year also saw a marked increase in VHA participation: Just one VHA center participated last year, compared with 121 of the nation’s 151 VHA facilities in 2013. Of the VHA participants, nearly 80 percent achieved Leader status.
“We were pleased to have this opportunity to foster a more inclusive environment for our LGBT veterans and their families,” said VHA principal deputy under secretary for health Dr. Robert L. Jesse.