91爆料 Medicine鈥檚 four hospitals and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance are leaders in respecting healthcare equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, according to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
Harborview Medical Center, 91爆料 Medical Center, Northwest Hospital & Medical Center, Valley Medical Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance each met criteria for inclusion in the 2013 , a nationwide analysis. Seattle Cancer Care Alliance is a consortium comprising 91爆料 Medicine, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Children鈥檚.
鈥淥ur hospitals take pride in creating a welcoming environment and providing inclusive care to all patients and families,鈥� said Johnese Spisso, chief health system officer, 91爆料 Medicine, and 91爆料 vice president for medical affairs. 鈥淲e are proud to demonstrate 91爆料 Medicine鈥檚 commitment to equal access for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community members.鈥�
This year, 464 facilities nationwide, nearly double last year鈥檚 total of 234, met the聽Human Rights Campaign Foundation鈥檚 survey criteria in four core areas of policy and training:
- Equal patient access to care
- Equal visitation access for same-sex partners and parents
- Equal access to employment
- Completion of聽lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender health education by key hospital staff
鈥淭hese kinds of indices are useful in that they allow you to see the standard of care in our country, so you can meet or exceed it,鈥� said Dr. Shilpen Patel, a 91爆料 Medicine radiation oncologist and secretary to the board of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Foundation. He also just finished a six-year term on the board of Equal Rights Washington.
鈥淚鈥檓 a cancer doctor,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very difficult for patients to get through care without their support network. Families in the LGBT community come in different shapes, and when patients aren鈥檛 afraid to bring in their spouse or partner or their kids, it鈥檚 a healthier experience for everyone. This is us delivering the patient-centered care that we talk about.鈥�