Mountainside hospital recognized for LGBTQ+ policies and practices

Mountainside hospital has received “Leader” status with a perfect score of 100 from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization, the hospital announced in a release.

The designation demonstrates the hospital’s commitment to the equitable treatment and public commitment to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning patients, visitors and team members, the release said.

“We are proud to be recognized by the Human Rights Campaign for our efforts to provide an inclusive and equitable environment for our patients, team members and visitors,” Tim O’Brien, CEO of Mountainside hospital, said in the release. “We are committed to delivering respectful, compassionate care that meets the unique needs of our LGBTQ+ patients and their families.”

More than 2,000 health-care facilities participated in the survey, with a record 747 facilities recognized for paving the way toward LGBTQ+ equality.

Mountainside said in the release it is committed to addressing the unique needs and issues of the LGBTQ+ community and has implemented policies and practices including:

• Establishment of a diversity, equity and inclusion committee that offers team members the opportunity to learn, share ideas, collaborate, provide a diverse perspective and strengthen relationships within the community.
• Diversity training and education, including cultural competency training, on LGBTQ+ patient care and other related topics, along with training on how to collect sexual and gender identity data for the hospital’s electronic health records.
• Policies pertaining to the management and treatment of transgender patients, nondiscrimination and anti-harassment, equal employment opportunity and the Americans With Disabilities Act.
• Meaningful community partnerships and outreach programs with partners such as Garden State Equality.
• The creation of gender-neutral, single-stall restrooms throughout the facility.