Swedish earns top score in nation's foremost LGBTQ+ health care survey

The Swedish LGBTQIA+ Caregiver Resource Group (CRG), the medical center’s voluntary employee resource group that supports LGBTQ+ caregivers, initiated this effort and has worked diligently with Swedish leadership teams to earn the designation.  

Antonio Foles, Swedish LGBTQIA+ CRG co-chair said, “It is incredibly remarkable and affirming to be working for an organization that is proactively taking the steps to make it a safe and inclusive space for LGBTQIA+ caregivers, patients and allies. I am grateful for everyone who has contributed to this recognition, and I look forward to the continued success of this work.” 

The HEI evaluates and scores healthcare facilities on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars: 

• Foundational Policies and Training in LGBTQ+ Patient-Centered Care  

• LGBTQ+ Patient Services and Support   

• Employee Benefits and Policies 

• Patient and Community Engagement  

Swedish’s designation was driven in part by its ongoing work to create a deliberate and inclusive medical environment for Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community to implement action items. In the last two years Swedish has: 

• Incorporated specific language in the Swedish patient nondiscrimination policies that address individuals’ sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. 

• Trained five executive leaders from each of the five Swedish campuses in LGBTQI+ inclusion awareness. 

• Launched the Swedish Transgender Health website and healthcare navigation program.  

• Created Swedish/LGBTQI+ branded assets. 

• Formed the Office of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (OHEDI) creating a comprehensive DEI strategy that includes an LGBTQI+ program support. 

In the coming months, Swedish will move forward on other important DEI initiatives such as: 

• Implementing all-gender restrooms in public areas of each Swedish campus. 

• Supporting leadership and caregivers in completing 25-50 hours of ongoing LGBTQIA+-related trainings across Swedish. 

• Creating a publicly available comprehensive list of LGBTQIA+-informed healthcare providers.  

• Forming an LGBTQIA+ Patient and Family Advisory Council to ensure we are learning from and with our community.

In the 2022 report, Swedish is among an impressive 496 facilities that earned HRC’s “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation, receiving the maximum score in each section and earning an overall score of 100.