LONG ISLAND, NY — Stony Brook University Hospital has received an honor — named a national leader in LGBTQ+ health care equity.
All Stony Brook Medicine hospitals were included in the price, including Stony Brook Children's Hospital, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital. all named “LGBTQ+ Health Equality Leaders” for 2022 at Human Rights Campaign Foundation15th anniversary edition of the Health Equity Index.
According to a Stony Brook release, all hospitals received a top score of 100 in a survey that includes topics such as nondiscrimination and staff training, patient services and support, employee benefits and policies, and patient engagement and community.
“Year after year Stony Brook's LGBTQ+ committee is committed to providing high-quality, equitable care to our LGBTQ+ community in Suffolk County,” she said. Hal Paz, MD, executive vice president, health sciences, Stony Brook University and chief executive officer, Stony Brook University Medicine. “I am proud of the collective efforts and hard work of the entire Stony Brook Medicine healthcare system to achieve this recognition.”
According to the facility, SBUH is always looking for new ways to address and affirm the specific and unique needs of LGBTQ+ people.
In 2021, Stony Brook Medicine realized that there was scarce quantitative information available both nationally and regionally about the health care needs of LGBTQ+ people. Stony Brook partnered with more than 30 Long Island-based organizations and community leaders to reach out to all sectors of the LGBTQ+ community to complete the LGBTQ+ Health Needs Assessment Survey, launched during Pride Month in June 2021. By the end of September 2021, a total of 1,150 participants completed the survey.
In addition, Stony Brook Medicine continues to grow LGBTQ+ Committee.
In May 2021, SBSH's Edie Windsor Health Centerwhich has been providing care to the LGBTQ+ community and those with HIV since the 1990s, moved to its new location in Hampton Bays to better serve the LGBTQ+ community.
“The Edie Windsor Health Center supports the right of every member of the LGBTQ+ community to receive world-class clinical care in a compassionate environment that is culturally sensitive to the individual's specific needs,” said Robert S. Chaloner, chief administrative officer of Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. . “The Center is dedicated to meeting the diverse needs of the LGBTQ+ community.”
Also, the Stony Brook Southampton Diversity Leadership Councila committee of 25 administrators, physicians, nurses, and other staff, actively educates, informs, and provides resources to the broader hospital community about diversity issues while seeking opportunities to create an inclusive and safe environment for all who work, seek care at, or visit the hospital premises.
After reviewing the ITE recommendations and criteria to better understand the behavioral health and medical needs of its local LGBTQ+ community, SBELIH revised its HR and hospital policies, employee documents, medical record terminology, and signage of the facilities.
“Providing gender-affirming care is a cultural and organizational shift, and we've made that shift,” said Paul Connor, chief administrative officer of Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital. “To create an organization that is truly welcoming to LGBTQ+ patients, we engaged in every department, from clinical care to medical records. Steps included ensuring inclusive terminology in medical records and forms, as well as strengthening cultural sensitivity training for staff to increase awareness of the health needs of LGBTQ+ people.”
