Wellness at Penn — the University’s student medical care, counseling, and public health division — earned a perfect evaluation in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Healthcare Equality Index for the fourth consecutive year.
Wellness at Penn is one of six college health centers nationwide awarded the distinction of LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader for 2022. The Healthcare Equality Index provides an annual evaluation of the policies and practices of over 2,200 health care facilities across the United States by assessing their equity and inclusion toward LGBTQ+ patients, visitors, and employees.
“We are proud and honored to once again earn this incredible distinction,” Chief Wellness Officer Benoit Dubé said in a press release. “Our mission is to infuse wellness across all eight domains (physical, emotional, social, intellectual, environmental, financial, occupational, and spiritual) through inclusive, innovative, and impactful initiatives.”
Healthcare facilities are graded on five different categories: Non-Discrimination & Staff Training; Patient Services & Support; Employee Benefits & Policies; Patient & Community Engagement; Responsible Citizenship. Wellness at Penn received top marks in each of the eight categories.
The 2022 Index marks the fifth year that health care facilities were ranked based on the number of LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and practices implemented among four different criteria, according to the press release. The first criteria concern the “foundational elements” of LGBTQ+ patient-centered care, including patient and employment non-discrimination, equal visitation, and training. The remaining three criteria are patient services and support, employee benefits and policies, and patient and community engagement.
Health care facilities must also show offerings of transgender-inclusive benefits to its employees to earn the coveted 100-point score. Wellness at Penn earned top marks in each of the several categories, securing all 100 points.
Student Health Service Medical Director Vanessa Stoloff said “Wellness at Penn is deeply committed to creating a respectful and inclusive environment, and I am incredibly proud of our staff for their tireless devotion to their work.”
Wellness at Penn is among several facilities in the University of Pennsylvania Health System to receive a perfect score on the HEI 2022. Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine facilities — Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania Hospital — each earned the highest scores in all eight categories. Outside of Philadelphia, Penn Medicine’s Chester County Hospital and Lancaster General Hospital also received scores of 100.
In addition to being a resource for health care facilities, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation reports that the HEI is utilized by LGBTQ+ patients and allies to find providers that offer “equitable and inclusive care.” Pennsylvania is among six states nationwide that host over 20 LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leaders. California leads with 108 health care facilities categorized as Healthcare Equality Leaders, followed by New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
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