Denver Health a National Leader in LGBT Health Care Equality for Fourth Year

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation has recognized Denver Health for the fourth year in a row as a "Leader in LGBTQ Health Care Equality." The HRC is the educational arm of the country’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization. The HRC awards this honor to health care facilities meeting LGBT-inclusive standards that are part of the HRC Foundation’s Health Care Equality Index (HEI) -- an annual survey that recognizes institutions that are the most inclusive toward LGBT Americans.

Denver Health earned top marks in meeting non-discrimination and training criteria that demonstrate its commitment to equitable care for LGBT patients and their families, who may face significant challenges in securing the quality and culturally-responsive health care they deserve. Denver Health works diligently to foster a culture of inclusion and acceptance for all patients, visitors and staff, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Denver Health is the only facility in Colorado to be named a Leader in LGBTQ Health Care Equality. For 2017, the 10th iteration of the HEI, the HRC stiffened its standards, moving to a more comprehensive and demanding survey. Also for the first time, in 2017 the HRC used a numerical scoring system, ranging from zero to 100, totaled from four key areas to rate participating facilities. These include LGBT patient-centered care, patient services and support, fully-inclusive employee benefits and policies and patient and community engagement. Denver Health scored a perfect 100. Participants receiving the maximum score in each section are named Leaders in LGBTQ Health care Equality.

“The story behind this groundswell of public support for equality began within each business’s efforts to recognize their own LGBTQ employees and adopt inclusive policies, benefits and practices,” said Chad Griffin, President of the Human Rights Campaign. “With every policy change and discussion of transgender-inclusive benefits, for example, an employee saw a path to bringing their full self to work, an executive could put a human face to the need for full equality and an ally could proudly display a show of support for their LGBTQ colleagues and friends.”

The HEI offers unique and powerful resources designed to help health care facilities provide equal care, as well as assistance in complying with new regulatory requirements and access to staff training.

“Denver Health is excited to announce that once again we have been nationally recognized as a leader in LGBT health by the Human Rights for 2017,” said Kari Kuka, director of the LGBT Center of Excellence at Denver Health and one of the leaders of its LGBT advisory committee. “In addition to this recognition, Denver Health has recently embarked on the journey to become an ‘LGBT Center of Excellence.’ This designation will reaffirm our commitment to the LGBT community in delivering the best health care and aligning patients with a trusted and affirming provider for all their health care needs.”

For more information about the HEI, download a free copy of the report.