Human Rights Campaign Foundation Recognizes UPMC Hospitals for LGBTQIA+ Patient Care
By: Ed DeWitt
UPMC hospitals have been recognized for their LGBTQ+ patient care policies and practices by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation— the country’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. Of these, eight hospitals have been designated as “Leaders in LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality,” and 25 have been recognized as “Top Performers.” This is over a 37% increase in UPMC hospitals recognized since the report was last issued in 2022.
The designation was reported in the 2024 Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), a survey that scores health care facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of their LGBTQ+ patients, visitors and employees.
The survey evaluates facilities based on criteria in five key areas including non-discrimination and staff training, patient services and support, employee benefits and policies, patient and community engagement, and responsible citizenship.
“UPMC is delighted to have 33 of our hospitals designated on the 2024-2025 Healthcare Equality Index,” said Joy Gero, Psy.D., director of population health & improvement and program manager of LGBTQIA+ health quality at the UPMC Wolff Center. “UPMC started this journey with UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital in 2014, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in 2015 and a systemwide commitment in 2018 to improve participation and designations on the Healthcare Equality Index. The LGBTQIA+ community in Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland deserve healthcare that allows them to be honest about who they are and who they love, and UPMC is proud of the work we have done to improve healthcare for the LGBTQIA+ community.”
Leaders include:
UPMC Carlisle
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
UPMC Community Osteopathic
UPMC Hanover
UPMC Harrisburg
UPMC Lititz
UPMC Memorial
UPMC West Shore
Top Performers include:
UPMC Altoona
UPMC Bedford
UPMC Chautauqua
UPMC Cole
UPMC East
UPMC Hamot
UPMC Horizon–Greenville
UPMC Horizon–Shenango Valley
UPMC Jameson
UPMC Lock Haven
UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital
UPMC McKeesport
UPMC Mercy
UPMC Muncy
UPMC Northwest
UPMC Passavant–Cranberry
UPMC Passavant–McCandless
UPMC Presbyterian
UPMC Shadyside
UPMC Somerset
UPMC St. Margaret
UPMC Western Maryland
UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital
UPMC Wellsboro
UPMC Williamsport
