Today, RMA of Connecticut, a leading fertility clinic, announced their “LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC). The designation was awarded in the 12th edition of HRC’s Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), released on August 16th. A record 680 healthcare facilities actively participated in the HEI 2019 survey, with HRC Foundation proactively researching key policies at 1000 additional non-participating hospitals. Of those included in the HEI, 406 earned a “LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation. RMA of Connecticut is the only free-standing fertility center given the HEI designation in New England.
“We’re extremely proud to have the HEI designation and to be the leader in the state of Connecticut as the only stand-alone fertility center with this appointment,” says Robin Mangieri, CEO of RMA of Connecticut. “We’ve dedicated resources to making sure we meet these standards year after year and we are committed to providing inclusive care to our LGBTQ patients.”
The 12th edition of the HEI assesses participants on four criteria: Non-Discrimination and Staff Training, Patient Services and Support, Employee Benefits and Policies, and Patient and Community Engagement.
In the 2019 report, an impressive 406 facilities earned HRC’s “LGBTQ Health Care Equality Leader” designation, receiving the maximum score in each section and earning an overall score of 100. Another 148 facilities earned the “Top Performer” designation for scoring from 80 to 95 points. With 81% of participating facilities scoring 80 points or more, health care facilities are demonstrating concretely that they are going beyond the basics when it comes to adopting policies and practices in LGBTQ care.
The remarkable progress reflected in the 2019 HEI includes:
- Over half of HEI participants now have written gender transition guidelines;
- 75% of hospitals surveyed offer trans-inclusive benefits -- an impressive eight percentage point increase over last year, and numbers that bring them on par with their corporate counterparts, as measured by HRC’s 2019 CEI;
- A 35% increase in training hours recorded -- clocking in at more than 94,000 hours of LGBTQ care training provided;
- A 60% increase in the number of HEI participants whose electronic health records capture a patient's sexual orientation, and a 40% increase in the number of HEI participants whose electronic health records capture a patient's gender identity.
About RMA of Connecticut
RMA of Connecticut is a leader in fertility care, specializing in a range of infertility treatments. Our assisted reproductive technologies (ART) include intrauterine insemination (IUI), in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT). RMA of Connecticut is Fairfield County’s largest fertility clinic and egg donation center. Through RMA of Connecticut’s Integrated Fertility and Wellness Center, we offer nutrition counseling, individual and couples psychological counseling, acupuncture, and yoga, as well as financing and support services for our patients going through infertility treatment.
About The Human Rights Campaign Foundation
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the education arm of America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.