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Desert Regional Medical Center earns 'LGBTQ Health Care Equality Leader' Designation in Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Healthcare Equality Index for a Sixth Consecutive Year

Sep 11, 2020

Desert Regional Medical Center joins 495 health care providers nationwide earning the “LGBTQ Health Care Equality Leader” designation

PALM SPRINGS, Calif., September 11, 2020 - Today, Desert Regional Medical Center announced their “LGBTQ Health Care Equality Leader” designation from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC). The designation was awarded in the 13th edition of HRC’s Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). A record 765 health care facilities actively participated in the HEI 2020 survey, with HRC Foundation proactively researching key policies at 1000 additional non-participating hospitals. Of those included in the HEI, 495 earned a “LGBTQ Health Care Equality Leader” designation.

“It’s a sincere honor to receive the HRC’s LGBTQ Health Care Equality Leader designation for the sixth consecutive year,” said Michele Finney, CEO of Desert Regional Medical Center. We strive to provide excellent care to all our patients each day, but receiving this recognition for the care we provide the LGBTQ community is a very special honor.”

In the 2020 report, an impressive 495 facilities earned HRC’s “LGBTQ Health Care Equality Leader” designation, receiving the maximum score in each section and earning an overall score of 100. Another 193 facilities earned the “Top Performer” designation for scoring from 80 to 95 points. With 90% 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 2020 HEI includes:

  • 92% of participants met the HEI's training requirements, completing more than 150,000 hours of staff training in LGBTQ patient-centered care.
  • 99% of HEI participants documented that they include both “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in their patient non-discrimination policy.
  • 99% of HEI participants documented that they include both “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in their employment nondiscrimination policy.
  • 53% of HEI participants indicated that their facility has a policy or policies that specifically outline procedures and practices aimed at eliminating bias and insensitivity, and ensuring appropriate, welcoming interactions with transgender patients.
  • After many years of trailing their corporate counterparts in the provision of transgender-inclusive health care benefits for employees, HEI participating healthcare facilities are nearly on par with the HRC Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI) participants as 80% have at least one health care plan that offered this benefit. The latest CEI noted 85% of participants having such benefits.

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