Temple University Hospital (TUH) has received an evaluation of 100 and the designation of “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 15th anniversary edition of the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey of healthcare facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of their LGBTQ+ patients, visitors and employees. A record 906 healthcare facilities actively participated in the 2022 HEI survey and 496 of those earned an “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation. This is the fourth consecutive year that TUH has earned the “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation.
“Equality is at the heart of our mission at Temple Health, so we take great pride in earning the ‘LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader’ designation for the fourth consecutive year,” said Abhinav Rastogi, MBA, MIS, President and CEO of Temple University Hospital. “Everyone deserves access to excellent healthcare in a safe, comfortable and unbiased setting and we’re committed to providing a welcoming, compassionate, empathetic and respectful environment for LGBTQ+ patients, employees and visitors. A special thank you to the Temple Health LGBTQ Alliance Task Force for its efforts in making this honor possible.”
The HEI survey was submitted on behalf of the Temple Health LGBTQ Alliance Task Force by Robert Bettiker (he/him), MD/MGA, FACP, FIDSA, Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. The Task Force is led by Dr. Bettiker; Brenda Horwitz (she/her), MD, Professor of Medicine at the Katz School of Medicine; Jennifer Aldrich (she/her), MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at the Katz School of Medicine; and Nicolle Strand (she/her or they/them), JD, MBE, MPH, Assistant Professor in the Center for Urban Bioethics and Director of Equity and Culture Initiatives in the Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Katz School of Medicine.
The Healthcare Equality Leader designation would not have been possible without the additional contributions of Stefanie Murphy (she/her), Associate Vice President of Strategic and Service Line Marketing at Temple University Health System; and Dexter Rose (they/them), LSW, Gender Affirming Surgeries Program Manager.
Comprised of several subcommittees, the Task Force is focused on improving policies, education, equity, and clinical services throughout the Health System for LGBTQ patients, students, staff, faculty, and visitors.
The HEI evaluates and scores healthcare facilities on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:
● Foundational Policies and Training in LGBTQ+ Patient-Centered Care;
● LGBTQ+ Patient Services and Support;
● Employee Benefits and Policies; and,
● Patient and Community Engagement.
In the 2022 report, an impressive 496 facilities earned HRC’s “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation, receiving the maximum score in each section and earning an overall score of 100. Another 251 facilities earned the “Top Performer” designation with scores between 80 and 95 points and at least partial credit in each section. With 82% 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.