This press release was orginally distributed by ReleaseWire

Salt Lake City, UT -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/01/2022 -- Thirteen Intermountain Healthcare hospitals in Utah have earned the prestigious 2022 "LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader" designation from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) for policies and programs to ensure equitable and inclusive care is provided to all patients in the community.

The honor by the Human Rights Campaign highlights Intermountain's commitment to equity, inclusion, and a commitment to ensuring that everyone in the community feels welcome and safe when receiving care.

The 13 Intermountain hospitals earning HRC recognition this year received the highest score of 100. They include:

- Intermountain Alta View Hospital, Sandy
- Intermountain American Fork Hospital
- Intermountain Layton Hospital
- Intermountain LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City
- Intermountain Medical Center, Murray
- Intermountain Orem Community Hospital
- Intermountain Park City Hospital
- Intermountain Utah Valley Hospital, Provo
- Intermountain Riverton Hospital
- Intermountain Spanish Fork Hospital
- Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital

These 13 Intermountain hospitals are among only 18 facilities in the state – and less than 500 hospitals in the nation – to earn the HRC LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation for 2022.

Also, five other Intermountain hospitals were named top-performing equity providers by the HRC. They include:

- Intermountain Cedar City Hospital
- Intermountain Garfield Memorial Hospital, Panguitch
- Heber Valley Hospital
- Logan Regional Hospital
- McKay-Dee Hospital, Ogden

Intermountain recognizes a person's sexual orientation and gender identity is an important part of their overall health picture. Intermountain knows those in the LGBTQ+ community face some health issues at a higher rate but may be less likely to seek care for a variety of reasons.

"This designation recognizes the efforts of many hardworking people throughout Intermountain who fiercely advocate for all of our patients, including LGBTQ+ patients, members, community, and caregivers," said Nathan Alexander, co-chair of Intermountain's LGBTQ+ Caregiver Resource Group. "The recognition is an honor and represents a true responsibility to keep improving access to equitable and affirming care for everyone in the communities we serve."

In reviewing and scoring healthcare providers, the Human Rights Campaign uses a scoring system called the Healthcare Equality Index which looks at four central pillars including: patient and community-centered care, patient services and support, employee benefits and policies, and foundational policies and training in LGBTQ+ patient-centered care.

"Every person deserves to have access to quality healthcare, be respected and heard by their doctor, and feel safe in the facility where they are receiving care. The Healthcare Equality Index, at its core, strives to ensure LGBTQ+ people are protected and affirmed by their healthcare providers and feel safe seeking services," said Tari Hanneman, director of health and aging at the Human Rights Campaign.

About Intermountain Healthcare
Located in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada, Intermountain Healthcare is a nonprofit system of 25 hospitals, 225 clinics, the Intermountain Medical Group with some 2,700 employed physicians and advanced care practitioners, a health plans division called SelectHealth, Homecare, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For updates, see https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.

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