The Penn Medicine Program for LGBT Health - Strengthening Penn’s commitment to providing excellent care to the LGBT community

By Eve J. Higginbotham, SM, MD

Barriers such as decreased access to healthcare, lack of awareness and/or insensitivity to their unique health needs, and inequitable health system policies and practices put some members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community at a disadvantage in optimizing their physical and mental health. The Penn Medicine Program for LGBT Health works to address these health inequities and improve the care of all LGBT people.

Recently the Program worked with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and Chester County Hospital to complete the Human Rights Campaign Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). As part of the application, the four hospitals standardized their patient and employee non-discrimination policies to include sexual orientation and gender…