March 27, 2018 - The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), the education arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, has designated El Camino Hospital as a “Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality.” The designation was reported in the 11th edition of the HRC’s annual Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), which scores healthcare facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of their LGBTQ patients, visitors and employees. A record 626 healthcare facilities actively participated in this year’s survey, committing to LGBTQ inclusive policies and practices. Of facilities surveyed, 418 earned a top score of 100, and received HRC’s coveted “Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality” designation. In addition, the HRC Foundation proactively researched key policies at more than 900 non-participating hospitals across the nation.
The 11th edition of the HEI marks the second year that participants have been given a numerical score based on their LGBTQ-inclusive policies and practices. HEI participants are assessed on four criteria: LGBTQ Patient-Centered Care, LGBTQ Patient Services and Support, Employee Benefits and Policies, and LGBTQ Patient and Community Engagement.
In the 2018 report, an impressive 418 facilities earned HRC’s “LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation, receiving the maximum score in each section and earning an overall score of 100. El Camino Hospital earned an overall score of 100 and received designation a “Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality.” Another 95 facilities earned the “Top Performer” designation for scoring from 80 to 95 points. With 82 percent of participating facilities scoring 80 points or more, health care facilities are demonstrating concretely that they are going beyond the basics when it comes to adopting policies and practices in LGBTQ care.
The remarkable progress reflected in the 2018 HEI include:
- 59 percent increase in hospitals that have written gender transition guidelines;
- 42 percent increase in hospitals that offer trans-inclusive benefits;
- 21 percent increase in the number of participants that have transgender-specific policies;
- 63 percent increase in training hours recorded - clocking in at more than 70,000 hours of LGBTQ care training provided.
Of the hospitals that did not actively participate in the HEI, but were included based on HRC Foundation research, only 63 percent have patient non-discrimination policies that include both sexual orientation and gender identity, and only 53 percent were found to have an LGBTQ-inclusive employment nondiscrimination policy. The equal visitation policy, at 93 percent, is the only one that comes close to matching the rate of the participating facilities.
