Kaiser Permanente gets high marks for LGBT healthcare

When my partner Jim was going through his losing struggle with HIV/AIDS in the late 1980s (he died in 1991) we often went to Kaiser Permanente in Hollywood. They were excellent there and treated me as his partner, and I’ll never forget that. Now Kaiser Permanente in Vallejo and 22 other Bay Area hospitals are being praised for their treatment of lgbt people and our health needs.

From the Times Herald: The country’s largest gay rights group has rated a local hospital a leader in LGBT healthcare equality. In a report released Thursday, the Human Rights Campaign noted Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center and 22 other Bay Area hospitals received perfect ratings in the Washington, D.C., -based group’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Healthcare Equality Index. “The biggest thing is, at Kaiser Permanente, we equate good health and thriving with getting your care at a place that you’re comfortable and is supportive of your needs, whatever they may be — cultural, sexual orientation, language. The recognition from the Human Rights Campaign of that conviction is just very much appreciated,” said Ellen Leonard, vice president of health plan and hospital operations. The Human Rights Campaign surveyed 87 health care providers across the country, representing about 375 facilities, including 25 in the Bay Area.
“We’ve actually experienced twice as many (respondents) this year as opposed to last year,” said Tom Sullivan, deputy director for the Human Rights Campaign Family Project. The survey, now in its fifth year, is a voluntary one and rates health care providers on four criteria: patient non-discrimination policies, LGBT visitation policies, cultural training and employee non-discrimination policies.
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