Saint Francis Memorial Hospital Receives “LGBTQ+ Equality Leader” Recognition in 2022 Healthcare Equality Index

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (March 28, 2022) — Saint Francis Memorial Hospital has been recognized as a LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). 

The HEI is the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey of healthcare facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of their LGBTQ+ patients, visitors and employees. 

“We are proud of this recognition and remain committed to providing compassionate and knowledgeable care, and will continue to examine ways we can do even more to support the health of our LGBTQ+ patients,” said Saint Francis Memorial Hospital and St. Mary’s Medical Center President Daryn Kumar. “Following the comprehensive framework outlined in the HEI application has helped us implement best practices for LGBTQ+ care, including policy enhancements, staff training, and additional support for patients and families.”

The HEI evaluates and scores healthcare facilities on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:

• Foundational Policies and Training in LGBTQ+ Patient-Centered Care;
• LGBTQ+ Patient Services and Support;
• Employee Benefits and Policies; and,
• Patient and Community Engagement.

In the 2022 report, 496 facilities earned HRC’s “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation, receiving the maximum score in each section and earning an overall score of 100. Another 251 facilities earned the “Top Performer” designation with scores between 80 and 95 points and at least partial credit in each section. With 82% of participating facilities scoring 80 points or more, health care facilities are demonstrating concretely that they are going beyond the basics when it comes to developing, adopting, and implementing policies and practices in LGBTQ+ care. Saint Francis Memorial Hospital is one of dozens of Dignity Health care sites recognized in the 2022 HEI.

LGBTQ+ patients have historically faced significant and longstanding challenges to accessing the care they need, and Saint Francis Memorial Hospital is committed to providing welcoming, compassionate care for LGBTQ+ patients and their families.

“Every person deserves to have access to quality healthcare, be respected and heard by their doctor, and feel safe in the facility where they are receiving care. But LGBTQ+ people are often subject to discrimination in all spaces, including healthcare facilities, which leads to members of the community avoiding care and anticipating our voices will not be respected in an incredibly vulnerable environment,” said Tari Hanneman, Director of Health & Aging at The Human Rights Campaign. “The Healthcare Equality Index, at its core, strives to ensure LGBTQ+ people are protected and affirmed by their healthcare providers and feel safe seeking services. Our HEI active participants are truly pioneering the healthcare industry by implementing robust,  comprehensive LGBTQ+ inclusive policies that hopefully, because of their work, will become standard practice.”

As part of the HEI process, Saint Francis Memorial Hospital worked with a nationally recognized LGBTQ+ health expert to undertake a comprehensive review of LGBTQ+ care policies and practices within the organization. Saint Francis Memorial Hospital updated dozens of policies to support LGBTQ+ health care outcomes, expanded training for staff and clinicians, updated patient forms and IT processes to better capture preferred pronouns and solicit feedback from LGBTQ+ patients, created the role of an LGBTQ+ patient advocate, and clarified wording in employee benefits to be explicitly inclusive of LGBTQ+ employees – to name just a few examples. 

For more information about Saint Francis Memorial Hospital’s commitment to LGBTQ+ care, visit www.dignityhealth.org/lgbtqcare. 

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About Saint Francis Memorial Hospital
Dignity Health Saint Francis Memorial Hospital is an accredited, not-for-profit community hospital that has been providing exceptional healthcare in San Francisco for more than 100 years. Located atop Nob Hill and adjacent to the Tenderloin District, Saint Francis is home to one of the City’s busiest emergency rooms, the Bothin Burn Center—the largest burn unit in Northern California—as well as the Saint Francis Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute, and the Gender Institute. With its close proximity to downtown San Francisco, Saint Francis also specializes in Occupational Health and Emergency Medicine. Saint Francis has been designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine and Hip/Knee Replacement Surgery and is a Certified Stroke Center by the Joint Commission. For more information, call (415) 353-6000 or visit DignityHealth.org/SaintFrancis. 

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