Kaiser Permanente Highlighted in Healthcare Equality Index 2011

Kaiser Permanente's Leadership in LGBT Healthcare Equality Noted by Human Rights Campaign Foundation

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Jun 30, 2011, 01:00 ET

OAKLAND, Calif., June 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente has been named a leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality in the 2011 Healthcare Equality Index report. The report, published by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, details the results of this year's Healthcare Equality Index, an annual survey administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. For the third consecutive year, Kaiser Permanente has received a perfect 100 percent rating.

Kaiser Permanente earned top marks for its policies and practices related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patients and their families. Kaiser Permanente joined a total of 87 survey respondents, representing 375 facilities rated in the report.

"Kaiser Permanente is deeply committed to providing equitable, compassionate and high-quality care to our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patients and their families. LGBT patients and their families deserve nothing less than equality when they enter a health care setting," said Ray Baxter, senior vice president of Community Benefit, Research and Health Policy for Kaiser Permanente. "To receive a 100 percent rating three years in a row highlights Kaiser Permanente's commitment to our high standards of health care, as well as our efforts to promote a supportive work environment for all our employees and physicians."

The HEI focuses on key policies and practices that create the foundation for a welcoming environment for LGBT patients and families. These policies include patient and employment non-discrimination, visitation rights and cultural competency training for staff.

Kaiser Permanente's efforts in ensuring health care equality for LGBT patients and their families earned it the distinction of being among the 27 survey respondents to meet all applicable criteria.

Since 2008, Kaiser Permanente has participated in the Healthcare Equity Index and has consistently received a perfect 100 percent rating. Additionally, for the past six years, Kaiser Permanente has received a 100 percent rating on the Human Rights Campaign's annual Corporate Equality Index for the organization's commitment to creating policies on diversity and inclusion, and providing training and benefits to create a fair and equal workplace.

For more information on the Healthcare Equality Index 2011, or to download a free copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/hei.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 8.8 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente