UW Medicine Hospitals identified as leaders in LGBT healthcare equality

Published 12:37 pm Friday, July 12, 2013

UW Medicine’s four hospitals are leaders in respecting healthcare equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, according to the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT organization.

Harborview Medical Center, UW Medical Center, Northwest Hospital & Medical Center and Valley Medical Center each met criteria for inclusion in the 2013 Healthcare Equality Index, the Human Rights Campaign’s list of U.S. inpatient facilities.

“Our hospitals take pride in creating a welcoming environment and providing inclusive care to all patients and families,” said Johnese Spisso, Chief Health System Officer, UW Medicine, and Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington. “We are proud to demonstrate UW Medicine’s commitment to equal access for LGBT community members.”

This year, 464 facilities nationwide, nearly double last year’s total of 234, met the HRC’s survey criteria in four core areas of policy and training:

·  Equal patient access to care

·  Equal visitation access for people identified as family members

·  Equal access to employment

·  Completion of LGBT education by key hospital staff

For more information about the Healthcare Equality Index 2013, or to download a free copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/hei.