Just over half of 88 hospitals got top marks under a new rating system created by two national gay-rights organizations which hope the standards will result in more compassionate treatment of gay and lesbian patients.
Policies addressed in the ratings include patient nondiscrimination, visitation and decision-making rights for partners, diversity training for staff, and nondiscriminatory employment practices.
The hospitals participated voluntarily, and the groups behind the report said there will be no effort to rate hospitals which don't want to respond. Instead, they hope many hospitals will strive for high ratings as the survey recurs annually.
Called the Healthcare Equality Index, the ratings were designed by the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association. See Gay rights groups launch hospital rating system
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