Anchor Health is one of 462 healthcare providers nationwide earning the “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality high Performer” designation.
CONNECTICUT — Today, Anchor Health announced our “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer” designation from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC). The designation was awarded in the 16th iteration of HRC’s Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), released today. A record 1,065 healthcare facilities actively participated in the HEI 2024 survey and scoring process. Of those participants, 462 received the “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer” designation.
“Anchor Health was founded on the principle that all LGBTQ+ people deserve access to comprehensive, trauma-informed, and science-based care of the highest quality. We are incredibly proud that the HRC Foundation has recognized us for providing care that should be the standard everywhere,” commented Joseph Canarie, MD, AAHIVS, the medical director of Anchor Health’s HIV Prevention & Treatment Program. “Anchor Health remains deeply committed to meeting and exceeding the needs of our patients and communities, especially now as we face unprecedented state-sanctioned violence and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, most often targeting trans youth. As we recognize the work that we have done, we must acknowledge that there is still much to do on the path towards health equity.”
Key highlights from the report include:
- Targeted health disparities reduction plans: Encouragingly, 71% have an official plan for reducing health disparities that specifically includes LGBTQ+ patients in addition to race, ethnicity, and linguistic concerns.
- Work to be done: Only 27% have an externally promoted specific program to provide patient navigation or advocacy services to transgender patients.
- Bias elimination and welcoming interactions: Just over half (53%) have a policy or policies that specifically outline procedures and practices aimed at eliminating bias and insensitivity, and ensuring appropriate, welcoming interactions with transgender patients.
- EHR SOGI data: Major increases are seen in the number of healthcare facilities collecting sexual orientation and gender identity-related data in their electronic health records systems. Seven of the eight relevant data points had double-digit increases.
- Pronouns in electronic health records: The ability to collect and display a patient’s pronouns rose from 44% to 74%. This is an important tool to help prevent misgendering a patient.
This year’s HEI comes as LGBTQ+ adults are twice as likely as non-LGBTQ+ adults to be “treated unfairly or with disrespect by a doctor or healthcare provider” in the last three years, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The impact of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation combined with a history of discrimination in healthcare settings has the potential to cause even more LGBTQ+ people to delay or avoid seeking healthcare, which makes the HEI even more salient for those looking to find inclusive and affirming care.
“As anti-LGBTQ+ extremists look to strip away healthcare access at every turn, LGBTQ+ people and their loved ones are looking for healthcare providers to offer and champion fully inclusive services, The Healthcare Equality Index is helping people find facilities where welcoming policies and practices are the standard,” said Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign. “We know that LGBTQ+ people – especially our trans family – continue to face discrimination in the doctor’s office. No one should have to put their health on the back-burner for fear of mistreatment in a healthcare facility or by their doctor.”
About Anchor Health:
Anchor Health is Connecticut’s leading health center for the LGBTQ+ community, providing the most groundbreaking, radically inclusive, gender-affirming, and sex-positive care possible in Connecticut and beyond. Founded in 2016, Anchor Health currently serves over 3,700 patients, more than half transgender and gender diverse, across full-service health centers in Hamden and Stamford. Anchor Health continuously works to advance health equity for LGBTQ+ people through advocacy, community-building, education, and research. We are health care for queer people by queer people.
To learn more, visit anchorhealthct.org.
Media contact:
Michael DeWolfe
mdewolfe@ahicorp.org
