Dignity Health – California Hospital Medical Center (CHMC) has been recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2024 Healthcare Equality Index (HEI).
“As a mission-driven organization founded to provide care for all, providing welcoming and affirming care for LGBTQ+ patients is an important priority,” shares Alina Moran, California Hospital Medical Center president and CEO.
“We know that our LGBTQ+ community has long faced barriers to accessing health care and that health inequity persists today. This recognition from HEI is a testament to the dedication of our compassionate care teams, who are committed to helping make sure that our LGBTQ+ patients feel welcome, heard, and safe in our care sites every day.”
The HEI is 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. The HEI evaluates and scores on detailed criteria falling under five central pillars: Non-discrimination and Staff Training; Patient Services and Support; Employee Benefits and Policies; Patient and Community Engagement, and Responsible Citizenship.
In the 2024 report, among the record 1,065 healthcare facilities actively participated in the HEI 2024 survey and scoring process. California Hospital Medical Center stood out as one of the 384 institutions to achieve a top score of 100, earning the prestigious title of “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader.” This achievement underscores California Hospital’s dedication to providing inclusive, compassionate care for LGBTQ+ patients and their families, addressing historical challenges in accessing healthcare.
As part of the HEI process, California Hospital underwent a comprehensive review of LGBTQ+ care policies and practices within the organization. CHMC updated dozens of policies to support LGBTQ+ health care outcomes, expanded training for staff and clinicians, updated patient forms and IT processes to better capture preferred pronouns and solicit feedback from LGBTQ+ patients, and clarified wording in employee benefits to be explicitly inclusive of LGBTQ+ employees – to name just a few examples.
For information on California Hospital Medical Center’s commitment to LGBTQ+ care, visit www.dignityhealth.org/californiahospital.
