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May 13, 2024
May 13, 2024
Cooley Dickinson is the only hospital in western Mass. to earn a top score of 100 in a national benchmarking survey and earn the “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation.
Today, Cooley Dickinson Hospital announced its “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).
Cooley Dickinson is the only hospital in western Mass. – and one of 12 in the Commonwealth – to earn the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation. 2024 marks the sixth year Cooley Dickinson Hospital has earned the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation.
According to the HRC, a record 1,065 health care facilities actively participated in the HEI 2024 survey and scoring process. Of those participants, 384 received the top score of 100, earning the “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation.
“We are here for all patients no matter who they love, what they believe or where they come from,” said Cooley Dickinson Hospital president and chief operating officer Dr. Lynnette Watkins. “I am so proud of our teams at Cooley Dickinson who put equitable, inclusive and affirming care at the center of the services we provide here. They are to be commended for doing this critical work every day, and earning this designation yet again from The Human Rights Campaign validates their efforts.”
“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.”
Some Examples of How Cooley Dickinson Provides LGBTQ+-Equitable Care
Cooley Dickinson-affiliated primary care clinicians and specialists complete continuing education training to better understand and serve our LGBTQ+ patients.
Medical practices, such as Oxbow Primary Care, offer routine screening and health maintenance, including hormone therapy and other gender-affirming medical care. Northampton Plastic Surgery provides top surgery or gender-affirming mastectomy and chest contouring for transmasculine patients.
Vocal coaching is offered through Cooley Dickinson Rehabilitation Services.
A Positive Place of Cooley Dickinson, a grant funded, community-based program of Cooley Dickinson, has been providing healthcare, housing and other health-related services for over 30 years to gay, bisexual and transgender people living with HIV (among other clients); gender affirming health and social services navigation for all transgender/nonbinary individuals; testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections; and harm reduction and education for people who use drugs and are at risk of HIV/HCV/STIs.
Within the Mass General Brigham system, Cooley Dickinson partners with specialists for local patients to receive other gender-affirming surgeries in Boston. The Mass General Brigham system also implements a gender-affirming inpatient rooming policy.
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.
View the list of HEI Leaders by state here.
View the list of Massachusetts recipients here.
Learn more about the 2024 Healthcare Equality Index here.
