The Human Rights Campaign Foundation has released the Healthcare Equality Index 2012, which highlights healthcare facilities' fairness to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patients.
Forty percent more facilities participated in the survey this year than last year, and 162 percent more facilities earned the status of Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality.
This leadership status is granted by meeting four core criteria: having a patient non-discrimination policy (or patients' bill of rights) inclusive of both "sexual orientation" and "gender identity;" visitation policy language that is explicitly LGBT-inclusive, granting equal visitation access for same-sex couples (partners/spouses/significant others) and same-sex parents; an employment nondiscrimination policy (or equal employment opportunity policy) that includes "sexual orientation" and "gender identity;" and LGBT training of at least five key staff members.
Despite the increase in participation and LGBT leadership status, more improvement is necessary, according to the report. In 18 states, no healthcare facility chose to participate in the HEI 2012. Among HEI 2012 participants, roughly 25 percent do not explicitly protect the visitation rights of same-sex partners and parents, and approximately the same percentage do not explicitly include gender identity in their patient and employee nondiscrimination policies.
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Forty percent more facilities participated in the survey this year than last year, and 162 percent more facilities earned the status of Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality.
This leadership status is granted by meeting four core criteria: having a patient non-discrimination policy (or patients' bill of rights) inclusive of both "sexual orientation" and "gender identity;" visitation policy language that is explicitly LGBT-inclusive, granting equal visitation access for same-sex couples (partners/spouses/significant others) and same-sex parents; an employment nondiscrimination policy (or equal employment opportunity policy) that includes "sexual orientation" and "gender identity;" and LGBT training of at least five key staff members.
Despite the increase in participation and LGBT leadership status, more improvement is necessary, according to the report. In 18 states, no healthcare facility chose to participate in the HEI 2012. Among HEI 2012 participants, roughly 25 percent do not explicitly protect the visitation rights of same-sex partners and parents, and approximately the same percentage do not explicitly include gender identity in their patient and employee nondiscrimination policies.
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