Click here for DiversityInc's apology regarding an earlier report  on this survey that gave the impression that hospitals in general were more receptive to LGBT concerns.

A hospital stay is tough, not only on the patient but on the patient's loved ones as well. But it can be especially difficult for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, who often have no legal protection from discrimination and may be denied visitation or major decision-making rights. 

The Healthcare Equality Index rates hospitals on a set of standards for LGBT patient care. The survey was sent to all hospitals with 300 beds or more, about 1,000 hospitals nationwide. Of those, only 88 hospitals participated and were evaluated on five main criteria: patient nondiscrimination, hospital visitation, decision making, cultural-competency training and employment policies. Respondents of the survey represented 21 states and six hospital networks. Thirty-one of the participating hospitals are run by Kaiser Permanente, No. 43 on The 2008 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity^® list.

Of those hospitals that participated, 98 percent have policies to protect patients from discrimination based on orientation, and 66 percent offer protection based on gender identity or expression.

"We're encouraged by this because this kind of private, voluntary action is one of the most important ways we're going to be able to reduce some of the health disparities that GLBT people currently experience," said Joel Ginsberg, executive direct of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.

HRC Foundation President Joe Solmonese hopes that the findings will encourage other hospitals to improve care for their LGBT patients. "By publishing the Healthcare Equality Index, we not only shine a light on the top performing hospitals but also draw attention to prejudices that GLBT Americans must face during some of their most critical moments," says Solmonese. "With each subsequent edition of the HEI, we will move the health care industry closer to gold standard of national policies that will improve the treatment and prevent discrimination of GLBT Americans and their families."

Here are some key findings from the survey:

• Ninety-eight percent of participating hospitals have a Patient's Bill of Rights and/or patient nondiscrimination policies that include sexual orientation. Sixty-six percent have policies that also include gender identity and/or expression.
• Sixty-eight percent have written policies that allow LGBT domestic partners the same access as spouses and next of kin. Sixty-eight percent have a written policy that allows same-sex parents the same rights and access as opposite-sex parents for visitation of their minor children.
• Sixty-four percent of hospitals have written policies that allow same-sex parents the same rights as opposite-sex parents when it comes to making medical decisions for their minor children, while 88 percent of participating hospitals recognize healthcare directives that grant domestic partners decision-making authority.
• Sixty-nine percent of the participating hospitals provide diversity or cultural-competency training to personnel to address issues related to GLBT patients and their families.
• Fifty-eight percent of hospitals bar discrimination on the basis of gender identity or gender expression. Eighty-four percent bar discrimination on the basis of orientation. Twenty-eight percent of the hospitals bar discrimination on the basis of orientation in states that don't have protection on the basis of sexual orientation. Seventeen percent of the hospitals bar discrimination on the basis of gender identity in states that don't have protection on the basis of gender identity.

Click here for a complete list of participating hospitals