Imagine you get a call today that your husband or wife has been rushed to the hospital. You would drop everything and meet them there, fully expecting the medical staff to acknowledge your right to be part of the decisions made on behalf of your family.
For many in our society, that isn’t an automatic assumption. Many members of our nation’s LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community are at the mercy of a bewildering array of state laws, or hospital policies, or personal prejudices when dealing with a crisis like this.
Or imagine you are a transgender individual and are meeting with a provider for the first time who is uncomfortable and is perhaps awkward in their questions or you are embarrassed to answer frankly. Or you are a same-sex couple with a child and your pediatrician struggles with how to address both parents.
A startling 56% of lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals and 70% of transgender people report facing discrimination in health care. Fully 23% postpone medical care because of a prior bad experience and another 18% are afraid to speak bluntly with their doctor.
As part of our commitment to quality healthcare for all, Adelante Healthcare wanted to find a better way to serve our LGBT community with grace and sensitivity. We sought the help of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) experts and worked to qualify for their Healthcare Quality Index (HEI).
The HRC provides guidelines and a process to educate the medical community on how to better care for LGBT patients, focusing on ensuring organizations address the “core four”:
- Patient Non-Discrimination
- Equal Visitation
- Employment Non-Discrimination
- Staff Training
We are proud to announce that we have achieved that designation for the first time this year and will be one of only 200+ organizations across the U.S. to be listed as a qualified provider.
Earning this designation required a lot of work and commitment from many of our team members and we appreciate their dedication to serving every member of our community. Adelante Healthcare is committed to meeting each patient where they are and providing culturally sensitive care, so this was a natural extension of our mission.
Join us in observing National Pride Month this June.
And never hesitate to let us know what we can do to make you feel comfortable, and welcomed, in our health centers!