32 NJ hospitals named LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leaders
Thirty-two hospitals in New Jersey were named 2024 LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leaders by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the third-most in the country.
New Jersey lags only California (98) and New York (81), with Pennsylvania coming in with 30. Following them is North Carolina, with 19 hospitals on the list.
The designation comes after ranking on the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), which "is the national LGBTQ+ benchmarking tool that evaluates healthcare facilities' policies and practices related to the equity and inclusion of their LGBTQ+ patients, visitors and employees," according to the HRC Foundation.
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More than 1,000 facilities participated in the 2024 HEI, with about 36 percent achieving Equality Leader status.
The HEI ranks hospitals in five areas: Non-discrimination and staff training, patient services and support, employee benefits and policies, patient and community engagement, and responsible citizenship.
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“We are proud to be leading the way in New Jersey in providing healthcare services for the LGBTQ+ community,” said Suzette Robinson, RWJBarnabas Health Vice President, Corporate Office of Diversity and Inclusion, in a news release. “RWJBarnabas Health remains committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect, and ensuring all patients feel welcomed and able to get the high-quality care they need and deserve at all stages of their life.”
Below are the 2024 LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leaders in New Jersey:
Atlanticare Regional Medical Center - City Campus | Atlantic City |
Atlanticare Regional Medical Center - Mainland Campus | Pomona |
Bayshore Medical Center | Holmdel |
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center | Paramus |
Childrens Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center | Newark |
Childrens Specialized Hospital - New Brunswick | New Brunswick |
Clara Maass Medical Center | Belleville |
Community Medical Center | Toms River |
Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center | Livingston |
Hackensack Meridian Health Carrier Clinic | Belle Mead |
Hackensack University Medical Center | Hackensack |
Jersey City Medical Center | Jersey City |
Jersey Shore University Medical Center | Neptune |
JFK Medical Center | Edison |
Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch Campus | Long Branch |
Mountainside Medical Center | Montclair |
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center | Newark |
Ocean Medical Center | Brick |
Old Bridge Medical Center | Old Bridge |
Palisades Medical Center | North Bergen |
Pascack Valley Medical Center | Westwood |
Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center | Plainsboro |
Princeton University - University Health Services | Princeton |
Raritan Bay Medical Center | Perth Amboy |
Riverview Medical Center | Red Bank |
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital | New Brunswick |
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital - Rahway | Rahway |
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital - Somerset | Somerville |
RWJ University Hospital Hamilton | Hamilton |
Southern Ocean Medical Center | Manahawkin |
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Childrens Hospital at RWJUH | New Brunswick |
University Hospital | Newark |
Ilana Keller is an award-winning journalist and lifelong New Jersey resident who loves Broadway and really bad puns. Reach out on Twitter: @ilanakeller; ikeller@gannettnj.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ hospitals cited for LGBTQ+ equality standards by HRC Foundation
