Members of USC Keck Medicine, of which Verdugo Hills Hospital is a part, were part of the Hollywood Pride Parade in 2019. For the third consecutive year, the hospital was recognized by HEI.
By Mary O’KEEFE
The Human Rights Campaign has released its Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital is the only hospital in Glendale that made the list.
“Each of the participants was given a score based on how many LGBTQ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer]-inclusive policies and practices they have in place in four different criteria. The first criterion consists of the foundational elements of LGBTQ patient-centered care. The three remaining criteria are patient services and support, employee benefits and policies and patient and community engagement. In addition this is the second year that participants had to demonstrate that they offered transgender inclusive healthcare benefits to their employees to receive a score of 100 points and earn HRC coveted ‘LGBTQ Healthcare Leader designation,’” according to the HEI website.
“USC Verdugo Hills Hospital received a top score in the HEI and was designated an LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader. In order to receive the Leader designation, a healthcare facility must receive full credit in all four criteria areas of the HEI, and this includes meeting our criteria for providing transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits to their employees,” said a HEI spokeswoman in response to CVW.
In 2017 USC-VHH was named a top performer by HEI and this year’s designation marks the third consecutive year that the hospital has been recognized by HEI.
For 13 years the HEI has been the Human Rights Campaign’s national LGBTQ benchmarking tool that evaluates healthcare facilities’ policies and practices related to the equity and inclusion of their LGBTQ patients, visitors and employees.
“The HEI 2020 evaluates more than 1,700 healthcare facilities nationwide. Every year, we recognize the healthcare facilities that participate in the HEI for their dedication and commitment to LGBTQ inclusion. This year, however, we must also extend our deepest gratitude to these facilities for their courageous fight against COVID-19 and their commitment to addressing racism and injustice,” according to HEI.
USC-VHH CEO Keith Hobbs added that in all clinical services offered throughout the hospital the same inclusive environment is practiced.
“It starts with me in my leadership role,” Hobbs said of how the inclusive environment works from the top down at the hospital. “We are very inclusive with [the LGBTQ+ community] along with others.”
The leadership teams at the hospital work together and set up listening sessions to hear from the staff about issues it is facing.
USC-VHH works as a team whose members support each other in numerous ways including attending events that focus on specific communities.
“I think we do this in a space where we support each other through sponsored events. Prior to COVID-19 our hospital and health [groups] joined in Keck’s ‘Got Pride’ where hospital members were supportive of each other,” he said.
Hobbs said that this recognition doesn’t mean it can stop working on eliminating any bias and efforts must be continued to be inclusive and to connect with the LGBTQ+ community.
“What this [designation] means to me is we are being a safe environment for hiring, a safe place where people are treated [equally],” Hobbs said.
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