Anchor Health is one of 251 healthcare providers nation-wide to receive the “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer” designation.
CONNECTICUT — Today, Anchor Health has received an evaluation of 90 out of 100 and the designation of “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer” in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 15th anniversary edition of the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), 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. A record 906 healthcare facilities actively participated in the 2022 HEI survey and 251 of those earned an “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer” designation.
“Anchor Health is ‘health care for queer people by queer people.’ Each day, we strive to create a safe, comfortable, and supportive space for our patients and team members,” says AJ Eckert, DO, the medical director of Anchor Health’s Gender & Life-Affirming Medicine (GLAM) Program.
“As a health center with just over 25 employees, earning a Top Performer score on the Healthcare Equality Index is an immeasurable honor. We’re incredibly proud that our commitment to providing quality, equitable, and cutting-edge care to our community has been recognized by the HRC Foundation, and we’re excited to continue moving LGBTQ+ health forward.”
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, an impressive 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 to 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 adopting policies and practices in LGBTQ+ care.
The remarkable progress reflected in the 2020 HEI includes:
- 93% of participants met the HEI’s training requirements, completing more than 200,000 hours of staff training in LGBTQ+ patient-centered care.
- 82% of participating facilities earned either the Leader or Top Performer.
- 99% of HEI participants documented that they include both “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in their patient non-discrimination policy.
- 99% of HEI participants documented that they include both “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in their employment non-discrimination policy.
- 81% of HEI participants offer transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits to their employees, up from 75% in 2019, which was the first year that it was required to receive Leader status.
“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.”
About Anchor Health:
Anchor Health is Connecticut’s leading health center focused on embracing and promoting the health and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and gender nonconforming individuals through compassionate, comprehensive, and evidence-based care in a safe, welcoming, and affirming space. Established in 2016, Anchor Health now sees more than 2,500 patients across two full-service clinics and over 50% are transgender and gender nonconforming. Anchor Health’s services include primary and preventative care, Gender & Life-Affirming Medicine (GLAM), HIV prevention and treatment, comprehensive STI testing, behavioral health care, and more. It is health care for queer people by queer people.
To learn more, visit anchorhealthct.org.
About The Human Rights Campaign Foundation:
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public’s understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work.
Media Inquiries:
Michael DeWolfe
mdewolfe@ahicorp.org
