All Hackensack Meridian Health Hospitals Earn “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” Designation in Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Healthcare Equality Index

All HMHs Earn LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader

All Hackensack Meridian Health Hospitals Earn “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” Designation in Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Healthcare Equality Index

First year that 13 network hospitals earn Leader designation, awarded to 36% of participating hospitals nationwide

Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive health network, is proud to announce that all of its hospitals earned a “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” 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, 384 (36%) received the top score of 100, earning the “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation.

“Hackensack Meridian Health is deeply committed to advancing equity in healthcare for our patients and team members,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, chief executive officer of Hackensack Meridian Health, “It is an honor to be recognized by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for our work at every hospital in the network, and we will continue to pursue our mission of providing high-quality, compassionate, patient-centered care to all the patients and communities we serve.”

Thirteen Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals earned the “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation, meaning they received the highest score in the following four criteria areas:

• Foundational elements of LGBTQ+ patient-centered care
• Patient services and support
• Employee benefits and policies
• Patient and community engagement

Hospitals with this coveted designation also demonstrated they offer transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits to their employees.

The Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals recognized are as follows:

• Hackensack University Medical Center
• Jersey Shore University Medical Center
• Ocean University Medical Center
• Bayshore Medical Center
• Palisades Medical center
• Raritan Bay Medical Center
• Southern Ocean Medical Center
• JFK University Medical Center
• Pascack Valley Medical Center
• Old Bridge Medical Center
• Riverview Medical Center
• Mountainside Medical Center
• Carrier Clinic

“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.”

Key highlights from the 2024 HEI report include:

• 36% of 1,065 total participants earned the designation “2024 LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader.”
• 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.
• FMLA-Equivalent Benefits: 38% offer FMLA-equivalent benefits that allow employees to take family and medical leave to care for same-sex partners as well as the children of a same-sex partner, regardless of biological or adoptive status – this is up from 34% in 2022.
• Comprehensive Benefits for Domestic Partners: 41% provide medical and comprehensive health benefits to domestic partners of benefits-eligible employees up from 34% in 2022. This is the first increase in this measure since the 2015 Obergefell decision on same-sex marriage.
• Employee Resource Groups: 72% have an officially recognized LGBTQ+ employee resource group.
• Community Engagement and Support: 92% took part in or supported one or more LGBTQ+ related events or initiatives in their service area.

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.