OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 1, 2020 – For the 11th consecutive year, all 39 of Kaiser Permanente’s hospitals, including 21 in Northern California, have been recognized as a “Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization.
The Healthcare Equality Index, or HEI, evaluates more than 1,600 health care facilities nationwide on their policies and practices related to the equity and inclusion of their LGBTQ patients, visitors, and employees. Kaiser Permanente has participated in the HEI since 2008 and has consistently moved up in its rankings, achieving a perfect score in 2010 and every year since.
“This recognition reflects our longstanding commitment to achieving equitable health outcomes for our LGBTQ members, patients, and families,” said Laura Long, vice president of operations, performance, and compliance, National Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity at Kaiser Permanente. “Our ongoing work to provide the highest levels of support and opportunity to our LGBTQ community is important as underrepresented and marginalized populations increasingly face threats to their civil rights protections.”
Kaiser Permanente has recently voiced support publicly for the LGBTQ community, including a statement about our continued commitment to transgender equality in response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ final rule removing protection for gender identity and sexual orientation under the existing nondiscrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act. Kaiser Permanente CEO and chairman Greg Adams also recently made a statement praising the Supreme Court’s decision to protect gay and transgender employees from workplace discrimination.
