St. Luke’s Health Network in Bethlehem received more than 1,200 letters from local LGBTs and allies urging the company to adopt spousal benefits for employees married to a same-sex partner. The letters were delivered by Pennsylvania Diversity Network Oct. 24 to St. Luke’s president and CEO Richard A. Anderson and also to the St. Luke’s board of trustees. Employees of the health network, the second-largest health-care provider in the state, have been pressing for such benefits since 2011, when the organization established a nondiscrimination policy in its benefits plan that included sexual orientation. PDN argued that the lack of equal benefits is a violation of St. Luke’s own policy, but said the network previously cited state law for the discrepancy. The network includes five hospitals in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey. The group also denied benefits to same-sex couples employed at the New Jersey hospital who were legally joined in civil unions. Robert Zimmel, senior vice president for human resources at St. Luke’s, told PGN the company is “reviewing the issue and will make a decision in the near future.” PDN executive director Liz Bradbury said St. Luke’s should take immediate steps to rectify the situation, especially in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling overturning a key provision of the federal ban on same-sex marriage. “Institutions like St. Luke’s are now required by federal law to cover spousal pensions of legally married same-sex couples no matter where they live, as long as they are legally married in a marriage-equality state,” Bradbury contended in a press release. Local health systems that offer equal benefits for same-sex spouses include Lehigh Valley Health Network, Reading Area Hospital, Geisinger Health System and Temple University Healthcare. Outgoing Equality Pennsylvania president Adrian Shanker thanked PDN for its work in leading the effort to secure equal benefits for LGBT employees of St. Luke’s. “Public support for equal spousal benefits is at an all-time high and laws are changing rapidly to benefit same-sex couples,” he said in a press release. “So it’s surprising to see St. Luke’s Health Network has dug its heels in the ground to deny their employees equal benefits for equal work.” Bradbury said St. Luke’s current policy is not only unfair to its LGBT employees, it could also be a hindrance to its own ability to employ the best workforce. “Not only is denying equal benefits to a minority group unfair, it keeps major employers like St. Luke’s from attracting and keeping the most qualified professionals,” she said. “The 1,200 people who signed letters to the St. Luke’s Health Network administration don’t understand why a hospital system would choose to discriminate. We hope they change their policy and do the right thing.”
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