All Yale New Haven Health hospitals named as “Leaders in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality”

NEW HAVEN, CT (June 19, 2019) – All five Yale New Haven Health hospitals will be awarded the “LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation in the forthcoming Healthcare Equality Index 2019.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation is the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people.

The findings will be a part of HRC Foundation’s 12th edition of the Healthcare Equity Index, an annual survey that encourages equal care for LGBTQ Americans by evaluating inclusive policies and practices related to LGBTQ patients, visitors and employees.

All Yale New Haven Health System hospitals (YNHHS) earned the top score of 100 in the HEI 2019 survey. This year’s 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.

Yale New Haven Health includes Greenwich, Bridgeport, Yale New Haven and Lawrence + Memorial hospitals in Connecticut and Westerly Hospital in Rhode Island. The health system was an early adopter of an inclusive Electronic Medical Record experience for our patients through Epic. In addition, the hiring of a chief diversity and inclusion officer has improved staff cultural competency for LGBTQ care as well as helped to create a more inclusive patient experience for those in the LGBTQ community.

“This recognition is especially gratifying coming in Pride Month,” said Kevin Myatt, senior vice president and chief Human Resources officer for Yale New Haven Health. “YNHHS believes that every individual – regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or income level – should have access to high quality health care and be treated with dignity and compassion. We take pride in being an equal opportunity employer and providing ongoing staff training to meet the needs of our LGBTQ patients and their families.”

Organizations designated as Leaders in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality are being recognized for implementing LGBTQ-inclusive policies and practices in four areas: patient-centered care, patient services and support, fully inclusive employee benefits and policies, and patient and community engagement.

Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS), the largest and most comprehensive healthcare system in Connecticut, is recognized for advanced clinical care, quality, service, cost effectiveness and commitment to improving the health status of the communities it serves. YNHHS includes five hospitals – Bridgeport, Greenwich, Lawrence + Memorial, Westerly and Yale New Haven hospitals, several specialty networks and Northeast Medical Group, a non-profit medical foundation with several hundred community-based and hospital-employed physicians. YNHHS is affiliated with Yale University and Yale Medicine, the clinical practice of the Yale School of Medicine and the largest academic multi-specialty practice in New England. Yale New Haven Hospital is the primary teaching hospital of Yale School of Medicine. www.ynhhs.org