St. George Regional Hospital and Intermountain Cedar City Hospital provide inclusive care to the community – St George News

Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital won the 2022 LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader Designation for providing inclusive care, St. George, Utah, unspecified date | Provided by Intermountain St George Regional Hospital

ST. GEORGE – Southern Utah hospitals have won the 2022 LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader Designation title. Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital and Intermountain Cedar City Hospital excel at providing equitable and inclusive care to the community.

Hospital worker illustration, St. George, Utah, unspecified date | Provided by Intermountain St George Regional Hospital

“We’re honored to be recognized for providing a welcoming and inclusive environment to all of our patients in the communities that we serve,” Mitch Cloward, administrator of Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital. “As a healthcare provider, our goal is to provide the very best care to each patient and to help all of us live the healthiest lives possible.”

These hospitals join 13 other Intermountain Healthcare hospitals in Utah in receiving the prestigious award from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The hospitals are cited for outstanding policies and programs that ensure equitable and inclusive care to all patients in the community.

There are less than 500 hospitals in the nation and only 18 facilities in the state to earn the HRC LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation for 2022. The HRC spotlights Intermountain’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and a commitment to ensuring that everyone in the community feels welcome and safe when receiving care.

“Intermountain recognizes a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity as an important part of their overall health picture. Intermountain knows those in the LGBTQ+ community face some health issues at a higher rate but may be less likely to seek care for a variety of reasons,” according to a hospital press release.

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DisobeyArt/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St George News

The honors the efforts of many throughout Intermountain who advocate for their patients, including LGBTQ+ patients, members and caregivers, according to Nathan Alexander, co-chair of Intermountain’s LGBTQ+ Caregiver Resource Group.

“The recognition is an honor and represents a true responsibility to keep improving access to equitable and affirming care for everyone in the communities we serve,” Alexander said.

The Human Rights Campaign uses a scoring system for hospitals called the Healthcare Equality Index, which looks at key areas. These include patient and community-centered care, patient services and support, employee benefits and policies, and foundational policies and training in LGBTQ+ patient-centered care.

“Every person deserves to have access to quality healthcare, be respected and heard by their doctor, and feel safe in the facility where they are receiving care,” Tari Hanneman, director of health and aging at the Human Rights Campaign, said. “The Healthcare Equality Index, at its core, strives to ensure LGBTQ+ people are protected and affirmed by their healthcare providers and feel safe seeking services.”

The ranking of the honor by the Human Rights Campaign highlights Intermountain’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and ensuring that everyone in the community feels welcome and safe when receiving care.

According to the HRC, the Intermountain hospitals that received the highest score of 100 include:

• Intermountain Alta View Hospital, Sandy
• Intermountain American Fork Hospital
• Intermountain Layton Hospital
• Intermountain LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City
• Intermountain Medical Center, Murray
• Intermountain Orem Community Hospital
• Intermountain Park City Hospital
• Intermountain Utah Valley Hospital, Provo
• Intermountain Riverton Hospital
• Intermountain Spanish Fork Hospital
• Intermountain St George Regional Hospital

So, HRC named these Intermountain hospitals named top-performing equity providers:

• Intermountain Cedar City Hospital
• Intermountain Garfield Memorial Hospital, Panguitch
• Intermountain Heber Valley Hospital
• Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital
• Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital, Ogden

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

Stephanie DeGraw is an award-winning journalist. For 25 years she engaged in journalism, broadcasting and public relations. DeGraw worked for the Salt Lake Tribune, Associated Press and The City Journals. She was a reporter for a CBS television station in Twin Falls, Idaho. She graduated from Weber State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Broadcasting.