Kaiser Permanente has been recognized as a leader in LGBT health care equality in the Healthcare Equality Index 2014 report, an annual survey conducted by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the country’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organization. All 38 of Kaiser Permanente’s hospitals across the country submitted the Health Equity Index survey, and each achieved leadership status for its commitment to equitable, inclusive care for LGBT patients and their families.
In 2010, Kaiser Permanente was the first health care provider and hospital system that the Human Rights Campaign designated as a leader in LGBT health care equality. For the past five years, Kaiser Permanente has consistently achieved leader status for all of its hospitals.
“Kaiser Permanente’s participation and leadership status in the Human Rights Campaign Healthcare Equality Index is one way we demonstrate our commitment to diversity, inclusion and our vision of improving the health of our members and the diverse communities we serve,” said Ronald L. Copeland, MD, FACS, senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer at Kaiser Permanente. “We are committed to our continuous journey of learning how to best deliver culturally responsive and respectful care and promote LGBT health equity.”
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation developed the Healthcare Equality Index to meet an urgent need on the part of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans for equitable, knowledgeable, sensitive and welcoming health care, free of discrimination based on LGBT status.
“It is a great honor for Kaiser Permanente to achieve leadership status in health care equality for the fifth year in a row,” said Raymond J. Baxter, PhD, senior vice president for Community Benefit, Research and Health Policy. “This status is a testament to our commitment to providing exemplary and personalized care for all of our members.”
Interesting – did you know you can’t sign up for Kaiser in CA as a married same sex couple on their website? it asks you if you are married, and then if your spouse is a man or a woman. When I answered “man” it said my spouse had to be of the opposite gender. This was a month and a half ago. They claim it’s a glitch, but that glitch took a paper application and 35 phone calls to Kaiser to resolve. They might want to fix that “glitch” if they want to continue to be seen as GBT friendly.