Stanford Health Care, Stanford Children’s Health earn perfect scores from LGBTQ rights group

An advocacy group for gender and sexual minorities has awarded scores of 100 to Stanford Medicine health care organizations.

Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children's Health were named LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leaders by the Healthcare Equality Index.
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The Healthcare Equality Index has awarded Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children’s Health perfect scores for their LGBTQ-inclusive policies and practices regarding patients, visitors and employees.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, a national organization that advocates for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals, releases the index annually. Health care organizations that receive a score of 100 are designated LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leaders.

The Healthcare Equality Index gives health care organizations points based on staff training, patient services, employee benefits and policies, and patient and community engagement. Among other factors, the index considers an organization’s patient visitation policies, its LGBTQ outreach programs and its support of employees who are transitioning genders.

Stanford Medicine has launched several programs and policies to support members of the LGBTQ community. The PRIDE study, a long-term look at the health needs and health disparities among sexual and gender minorities, is run by two Stanford faculty members. Stanford Medicine runs a clinic focused on care for gender and sexual minorities, the LGBTQ+ Health Clinic in Los Altos, California. And Stanford Medicine's Pride and Allies Employee Resource Group assists LGBTQ employees.

“Every person deserves to have access to quality health care, be respected and heard by their doctor, and feel safe in the facility where they are receiving care,” said Tari Hanneman, director of health and aging at the Human Rights Campaign.

About Stanford Medicine

Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu.

2023 ISSUE 3

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