What You Need to Know
All of HMH’s hospitals earned an “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC). The designation was awarded in the 16th iteration of HRC’s Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). A record 1,065 healthcare facilities actively participated in the HEI 2024 survey and scoring process. Of those participants, 384 (36%) received the top score of 100, earning the “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation.
Thirteen Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals earned the “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation, meaning they received the highest score in the following four criteria areas:
- Foundational elements of LGBTQ+ patient-centered care
- Patient services and support
- Employee benefits and policies
- Patient and community engagement
Hospitals with this coveted designation also demonstrated they offer transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits to their employees.
The Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals recognized are as follows:
- Hackensack University Medical Center
- Jersey Shore University Medical Center
- Ocean University Medical Center
- Bayshore Medical Center
- Palisades Medical center
- Raritan Bay Medical Center
- Southern Ocean Medical Center
- JFK University Medical Center
- Pascack Valley Medical Center
- Old Bridge Medical Center
- Riverview Medical Center
- Mountainside Medical Center
- Carrier Clinic
Key highlights from the 2024 HEI report include:
- 36% of 1,065 total participants earned the designation “2024 LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader.”
- Targeted Health Disparities Reduction Plans: Encouragingly, 71% have an official plan for reducing health disparities that specifically includes LGBTQ+ patients in addition to race, ethnicity, and linguistic concerns.
- Work to Be Done: Only 27% have an externally promoted specific program to provide patient navigation or advocacy services to transgender patients.
- Bias Elimination and Welcoming Interactions: Just over half (53%) have a policy or policies that specifically outline procedures and practices aimed at eliminating bias and insensitivity, and ensuring appropriate, welcoming interactions with transgender patients.
- EHR SOGI Data: Major increases are seen in the number of healthcare facilities collecting sexual orientation and gender identity-related data in their Electronic Health Records systems. Seven of the eight relevant data points had double-digit increases.
- Pronouns in Electronic Health Records: The ability to collect and display a patient’s pronouns rose from 44% to 74%. This is an important tool to help prevent misgendering a patient.
- FMLA-Equivalent Benefits: 38% offer FMLA-equivalent benefits that allow employees to take family and medical leave to care for same-sex partners as well as the children of a same-sex partner, regardless of biological or adoptive status – this is up from 34% in 2022.
- Comprehensive Benefits for Domestic Partners: 41% provide medical and comprehensive health benefits to domestic partners of benefits-eligible employees up from 34% in 2022.This is the first increase in this measure since the 2015 Obergefell decision on same-sex marriage.
- Employee Resource Groups: 72% have an officially recognized LGBTQ+ employee resource group.
- Community Engagement and Support: 92% took part in or supported one or more LGBTQ+ related events or initiatives in their service area.
This year’s HEI comes as LGBTQ+ adults are twice as likely as non-LGBTQ+ adults to be “treated unfairly or with disrespect by a doctor or healthcare provider” in the last three years, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The impact of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation combined with a history of discrimination in healthcare settings has the potential to cause even more LGBTQ+ people to delay or avoid seeking healthcare, which makes the HEI even more salient for those looking to find LGBTQ+-inclusive care.