Ohio hospitals rank highly for LGBT equality

by Anthony Glassman

Cleveland--Over twice as many hospitals qualified as �Leaders in LGBT Healthcare Equality� in 2014 as in 2013, according to the results of this year�s Healthcare Equality Index, released in mid-October.

Of the 507 health-care systems and hospitals that responded to this year�s survey, 426 met all four of the main criteria the HRC set for LGBT patient care, more than doubling last year�s 212 hospitals that qualified as Leaders in LGBT Healthcare Equality.

Those criteria are patient nondiscrimination, broken up between including both sexual orientation and gender identity and being communicated in two or more ways, equal visitation and its communication to patients and visitors, employment non-discrimination for both sexual orientation and gender identity, and training in LGBT patient-centered care for key staff members.

Every state except Idaho and North Dakota had facilities that met all the criteria, including 26 in Ohio.

Among them are the Unviersity of Toledo Medical Center, University Hospitals� Richmond, Parma, Geneva, Elyria, Conneaut, Bedford, Ahuja and Geauga Medical Centers as well as its Case medical Center, MacDonald Women�s Hospital, Rainbow Babies and Children�s Hospital and the Seidman Cancer Center.

MetroHealth, the only country in the nation with an LGBT-specific clinic, was also honored, along with some Ohio State University facilities, VA hospitals in Columbus, Dayton, Chillicothe and Cleveland, the Columbus Public Health Department and the main campus of the Cleveland Clinic.

Cincinnati was represented with Bethesda North Hospital, Children�s Hospital Medical Center and Good Samaritan Hospital.

�MetroHealth has long been at the forefront of providing health care for the LGBT community and for people living with HIV/AIDS, being the only hospital in the country with a clinic set up to meet the special health care needs of the LGBT community,� said John Corlett, Vice President of Government Affairs and Community Relations at MetroHealth. �We�re pleased HRC has now officially designated us as a Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality.�

�Leaders in LGBT Healthcare Equality change the lives of LGBT patients and their families for the better each and every day,� said HRC president Chad Griffin. �LGBT people should be treated equally in all aspects of our lives, and HRC celebrates MetroHealth for their tireless work to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all patients.�