Three UVA Health hospitals have earned the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader award from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for their equitable treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer patients, visitors and team members.
UVA Medical Center, UVA Prince William Medical Center and UVA Haymarket Medical Center have received a score of 100 – the best possible rating – in the foundation’s 2022 Healthcare Equality Index.
“At UVA Health, our goal is to be a welcoming place for all Virginians to receive high-quality, compassionate care,” said K. Craig Kent, MD, chief executive officer of UVA Health and UVA’s executive vice president for health affairs. “Providing care for our diverse communities also includes a commitment to creating an inclusive workplace where all our team members feel supported to provide great care.”
The Human Rights Campaign, a national civil rights organization for the LGBTQ+ community, rates hospitals on how well their policies and practices support inclusion of LGBTQ+ patients, visitors and employees. Hospitals are rated in multiple areas, including:
- policies and staff training in LGBTQ+ patient-centered care
- LGBTQ+ patient services and support
- employee benefits and policies
- patient and community engagement
“These honors from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation mark the positive strides UVA Health has made to make our health system a more inclusive place both to provide and receive care,” said Tracy M. Downs, MD, FACS, UVA Health’s Chief Diversity & Community Engagement Officer. “We will work to build on these accomplishments and learn what else we need to put in place to ensure all members of the UVA Health community feel supported and welcome.”
