Hospitals named to 2019 list for equitable treatment of patients, visitors and employees
Media Contact: Tom Hughes, 984-974-1151, tom.hughes@unchealth.unc.edu
CHAPEL HILL AND RALEIGH, N.C. – UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill and UNC REX Hospital in Raleigh have been named to a list of healthcare facilities recognized as leaders in providing equitable and inclusive care for LGBTQ patients, visitors and employees.
The 2019 Healthcare Equality Index, or HEI, scores healthcare facilities across the country on policies and practices dedicated to equitable treatment and inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer patients and their families.
UNC REX received a score of 100 and is designated as a “Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality.” UNC Hospitals received a score of 95 and is designated as a “Top Performer.” The HEI 2019 scoring criteria included a higher benchmark, requiring participating facilities to demonstrate that they offered at least one company-wide health insurance plan that affirmatively provides transgender-inclusive coverage in order to earn the top score of 100.
“The mission of UNC Health Care is to provide care for all North Carolinians, and we take that mission very seriously,” said Dr. Wesley Burks, CEO of UNC Health Care. “We are proud of our commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion at all of our hospitals, clinics and physician practices across the state.”
HEI participants are assessed on four criteria: LGBTQ Patient-Centered Care, LGBTQ Patient Services and Support, Employee Benefits and Policies, and LGBTQ Patient and Community Engagement.
The index is administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.
Ratings for every participating healthcare facility are published in an annual HEI report and are available on the HRC website, allowing consumers to easily search the HEI database or an interactive map.
About UNC Health Care
UNC Health Care is an integrated health care system owned by the state of North Carolina and based in Chapel Hill. It exists to further the teaching mission of the University of North Carolina and to provide state-of-the-art patient care.
UNC Health Care is comprised of UNC Hospitals at Chapel Hill, ranked consistently among the best medical centers in the country; the UNC School of Medicine, a nationally eminent research institution; Pardee UNC Health Care in Hendersonville; Chatham Hospital in Siler City; Johnston Health in Clayton and Smithfield; UNC Lenoir Health Care in Kinston; Wayne UNC Health Care in Goldsboro; Caldwell UNC Health Care in Lenoir; Nash UNC Health Care in Rocky Mount; UNC Rockingham Health Care in Eden, Onslow Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, UNC REX Healthcare and its provider network in Wake County; and the UNC Physicians Network.
For more information, please visit www.unchealthcare.org.
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