Kaleida Health Earns “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer” Designation in Healthcare Equality Index

Released: Thursday, May 9, 2024 11:53 AM

Kaleida Health Earns "LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer" Designation in Healthcare Equality Index

Kaleida Health is proud to announce 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). 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.

Kaleida Health has received designation within the Healthcare Equality Index since 2015.

"Receiving the designation of High Performer in the 2024 Healthcare Equality Index is a testament to Kaleida Health's unwavering commitment to providing inclusive and equitable care for all members of the LGBTQ+ community," said Shannon Bryant, chief diversity and inclusion officer for Kaleida Health. "This achievement reflects our dedication to fostering a healthcare environment that is welcoming, supportive, and respectful of diversity in all its forms. We are honored to receive this recognition and look forward to continuing our efforts to advance LGBTQ+ healthcare equality."

"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 backburner for fear of mistreatment in a healthcare facility or by their doctor."

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 LGBTQ+-inclusive care.

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.