Mount Sinai Named As 2020 National LGBTQ Health Equity Leader

Seven hospitals within the Mount Sinai Health System have been recognized as national leaders in LGBTQ health care equality by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2020 Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). The HEI is a scoring system which rates hospitals and health care facilities on policies and best practices in LGBTQ patient-centered care in four areas: non-discrimination and staff training; patient services and support; employee benefits and policies; and patient and community engagement. 

In the 2020 report, Mount Sinai Brooklyn, Mount Sinai Queens, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, The Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West, and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai each received the maximum score in each section, earning an overall score of 100.

“This important designation is an incredible honor for Mount Sinai and continues to showcase our commitment for LGBTQ patients, visitors, and employees, especially during the unimaginable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the horrific incidents of racial violence targeting the Black community,” said Gary Butts, MD, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer and Director, Office for Diversity and Inclusion, of the Mount Sinai Health System. 

 “I am extremely proud of Mount Sinai’s continued dedication to providing inclusive care for all during this very unprecedented time. We have always been a diverse organization that understands the needs of the many communities that we serve. This is especially reflected in some of the new programs and institutes that have been launched at Mount Sinai, such as the Institute for Health Equity Research, created to understand the effects of health issues including COVID-19, affecting at-risk communities including those that are non-white, low-income, immigrant, uninsured, and LGBTQ + across all ages, genders and abilities,” said David Reich, MD, President and Chief Operating Officer at The Mount Sinai Hospital.  

“Even during the most difficult times, Mount Sinai continues to thrive and become an innovator by establishing an integrated system of care for LGBTQ patients with groundbreaking programs such as Mount Sinai’s Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery; the first fellowships in transgender surgery and psychiatry in the country; and a health care career pipeline program to offer LGBTQ high school students of color opportunities for mentorship and internships,” said Barbara Warren, PsyD, CPXP, Senior Director, LGBT Programs and Policies, Office for Diversity and Inclusion, Mount Sinai Health System. 

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City’s largest academic medical system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai is a national and international source of unrivaled education, translational research and discovery, and collaborative clinical leadership ensuring that we deliver the highest quality care—from prevention to treatment of the most serious and complex human diseases. The Health System includes more than 7,200 physicians and features a robust and continually expanding network of multispecialty services, including more than 400 ambulatory practice locations throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, and Long Island. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 14 on U.S. News & World Report’s “Honor Roll” of the Top 20 Best Hospitals in the country and the Icahn School of Medicine as one of the Top 20 Best Medical Schools in country. Mount Sinai Health System hospitals are consistently ranked regionally by specialty and our physicians in the top 1% of all physicians nationally by U.S. News & World Report.

For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.