UHS Receives Top Score for LGBTQ Healthcare Equality

June 19, 2017

University Health Services (UHS) at the University of California Berkeley has been recognized for a second time as a “Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the country’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization.

The designation was reported in the 10th edition of the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), reflecting on a decade of progress in LGBTQ healthcare. A record 590 healthcare facilities actively participated in the HEI 2017 survey, with 302 earning a “Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality” designation.

UHS was originally honored in 2014, and we are humbled to have received the highest score available (100 points) this year when HRC changed to a scoring system. "Now more than ever, we must ensure our LGBTQ clients know that we welcome them, we care about their health, and we have dedicated services to meet their unique needs," said Claudia Covello, Executive Director for University Health Services.  

“The 2017 HEI reminds us again that though we have made tremendous gains over the past decade, there is still much more work left for us to do. With some of our biggest battles still ahead of us, it is crucial that institutions continue to demonstrate that the march toward full equality is not slowing down,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. 

The 10th edition of the HEI implements new criteria that raise the bar on what it takes to earn HRC’s “Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality” designation. For the first time, HEI participants are given scores in four criteria that represent how many policies and best practices from each section they have implemented: foundational elements of LGBTQ patient-centered care, LGBTQ Patient Services and Support, Employee Benefits and Policies, and LGBTQ Patient and Community Engagement. Participants like UHS who received the maximum score in each section for a total score of 100 points earned the coveted status of “2017 Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality.” 

For more information about the Healthcare Equality Index 2017, or to download a free copy of the report, visit the HRC website.