Washington, DC – Metropolitan Methodist Hospital, a campus of Methodist Hospital, has been recognized for the second consecutive year as a “Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the country’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization.
The findings, reflecting on a decade of progress in LGBTQ health care, were part of HRC Foundation’s 10th edition of the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), a unique annual survey that encourages equal care for LGBTQ Americans by evaluating inclusive policies and practices related to LGBTQ patients, visitors and employees.
The 10th edition of the HEI includes new criteria that raises the bar on what it takes to earn HRC’s “Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality” designation. For the first time, HEI participants are awarded numerical scores for their implementation of LGBTQ-inclusive policies and practices in four areas: LGBTQ patient-centered care, LGBTQ patient services and support, fully-inclusive employee benefits and policies, and LGBTQ patient and community engagement. Participants receiving the maximum score in each section, for a total score of 100, earn the coveted status of “2017 Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality”.
Metropolitan Methodist Hospital earned top marks in meeting non-discrimination and training criteria that demonstrate its commitment to equitable, inclusive care for LGBT patients, and their families, who can face significant challenges in securing the quality health care and respect they deserve.
"I am very proud of our staff and physicians for once again earning this important designation. By following the criteria and obtaining the HEI accreditation, we are truly illustrating our commitment to our mission statement of serving humanity to honor God by providing exceptional and cost effective health care accessible to all. We feel it is important for the LGBTQ community to know our staff is committed to giving them the very best patient experience,” said Greg Seiler, CEO at Metropolitan Methodist Hospital.
Metropolitan Methodist Hospital is one of a select group of only 303 facilities nationwide -- 51 percent of those actively participating in the survey -- meeting this year’s more challenging criteria to earn the Leader designation. With three quarters of actively-participating facilities scoring 80 points or more, it is clear that health care facilities are going beyond the basics in adopting policies and practices in LGBTQ care. In addition to the positive scoring criteria, the 2017 HEI includes a fifth section focusing on responsible citizenship, and calling out activity that would undermine LGBTQ equality or inclusive patient care.
The Healthcare Equality Index offers healthcare facilities unique and powerful resources designed to help provide equal care to a long-overlooked group of patients, as well as assistance in complying with regulatory requirements and access to high-quality staff training.
For more information about the Healthcare Equality Index 2017, or to download a free copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/hei.
About Metropolitan Methodist Hospital:
Metropolitan Methodist Hospital, a campus of Methodist Hospital, is a 330-bed hospital providing a complete range of health care services to Center City San Antonio and to the many neighborhoods and businesses that border its centralized location. Easy freeway access makes Metropolitan Methodist Hospital convenient for patients, visitors and physicians to access from all parts of the city. Metropolitan Methodist Hospital is home to the Metropolitan Methodist Hospital Women’s Pavilion, the only facility in downtown San Antonio completely dedicated to the health of women and their newborn babies. Metropolitan Methodist Hospital offers outstanding bariatric care, cardiac care, general and surgical care, neurosurgery, inpatient rehabilitation services, sleep disorder evaluation and the largest emergency department in downtown San Antonio. Metropolitan Methodist Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission in stroke care and is designated as an accredited Chest Pain Center. The Breast Cancer Center was the first Center in San Antonio to be accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC). Metropolitan Methodist Hospital is the only hospital in San Antonio designated as a pathway to excellence organization