Bristol Health issued the following press release today.
Bristol Health is one of 251 healthcare providers nation-wide to receive the “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer” designation
Today, Bristol Health received the designation of “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer” in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 15th anniversary edition of the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), 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. A record 906 healthcare facilities actively participated in the 2022 HEI survey and 251 of those earned an “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer” designation.
“When you talk about quality healthcare, to us, that conversation is about more than justdelivering the best medical care but also includes making sure all who come to us feel respected and safe. That’s something this entire organization takes to heart,” said Christine Laprise, Bristol Health’s vice president of operations. “We are proud and honored to receive this recognition once again, but we are even more proud of our continued commitment to acceptance and diversity and embracing differences, and understanding, accepting and respecting them.”
Bristol Health firmly recognizes that diversity, equity and inclusion are imperative to delivering quality care. The organization sets goals and benchmarks annually, many of which have led to hardwired initiatives, including annual unconscious bias training for all employees, monthly education papers, a system-wide Diversity Day Celebration, Pride Month observance, and many more.
“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.”
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.
Two-hundred-fifty-one facilities earned the “Top Performer” designation with scores between 80 to 95 points and at least partial credit in each section.
The remarkable nationwide progress reflected in the 2020 HEI includes:
● 93% of participants met the HEI’s training requirements, completing more than 200,000 hours of staff training in LGBTQ+ patient-centered care.
● 82% of participating facilities earned either the Leader or Top Performer.
● 99% of HEI participants documented that they include both “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in their patient non-discrimination policy.
● 99% of HEI participants documented that they include both “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in their employment nondiscrimination policy.
● 81% of HEI participants offer transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits to their employees, up from 75% in 2019, which was the first year that it was required to receive Leader status.
In addition to active survey participants, the HRC Foundation proactively researched the key policies for LGBTQ+ inclusion at over 1,300 non-participating hospitals. Unfortunately, these research hospitals were much less likely to have LGBTQ+ non-discrimination policies in place, which is a stark contrast to the near-perfect adoption by active participants. Among the researched hospitals in which we were able to find or obtain enumerated patient non-discrimination policies, only 70% have policies that include both sexual orientation and gender identity compared to 99% of HEI participants.
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About Bristol Health
Founded in 1921, Bristol Health is the leading health provider for those who live and work in the Greater Bristol area. Bristol Health has earned national recognition for its commitment to patient safety and for providing outstanding patient care. With now more than 20 locations throughout central Connecticut, Bristol Health has grown from a 154-bed community hospital to an integrated healthcare network providing a full-continuum of services – from emergent, primary and specialty care to skilled nursing, home care and hospice and emergency transportation.
Visit bristolhealth.org to learn more.