LGBTQ+ Program Ensures Equal Access to Care for All
RWJBarnabas Health Pride: More Than a Month
Each year, Pride Month invites us to celebrate our LGBTQ+ colleagues, patients, and neighbors. Held in June in remembrance of the Stonewall Riots, Pride serves as both a call to action on the work still to be done in combatting LGBTQ+ discrimination and a recognition of the strides we’ve already made. It’s an opportunity to express individuality, celebrate uniqueness, and come alongside one another in community.
RWJBarnabas Health is committed to meeting the health care needs of the
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA)
community with respect and compassion. Our hospitals and medical centers
are welcoming, inclusive environments, with physicians and staff dedicated
in their commitment to equitably serve the needs of the LGBTQ+ population. We:
- Provide an array of health, referral and educational services
- Promote LGBTQ+ health equity and access to care
- Develop effective partnerships with LGBTQ+ organizations, agencies and allies
All people have the right to be respected and appreciated. We celebrate and value the diversity of experiences, backgrounds and cultures reflected in our patients, community and workforce.
By embracing an expansive set of attitudes, attributes, cultures and skills in our work, we are creating a culture where everyone is valued and treated with respect and dignity.
Inclusion is an important part of how we harness the power of diversity. We can create health equity when we deliver high quality patient care to our diverse patients and our diverse communities in ways that accommodate cultural, social, and physical differences.
Leaders in LGBTQ+ Health Care Equality
Several of our hospitals have been awarded the Leader in LGBTQ+ Health Care Equality recognition by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the country’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization. This means that we:
- Ensure foundational protection for patients, visitors and staff in patient and staff policies and provide cultural competency training on LGBTQ+ inclusion
- Demonstrate progress toward inclusion on LGBTQ+ patient care and support
- Cultivate an inclusive workforce by providing LGBTQ+-inclusive employee support and benefits
- Demonstrate public commitment to the LGBTQ+ community
These 10 hospitals have been awarded Leader status in LGBTQ+ Health Care Equality designation:
- Children's Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
- Clara Maass Medical Center
- Community Medical Center
- Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center
- Jersey City Medical Center
- Monmouth Medical Center
- Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
- RWJ University Hospital New Brunswick
- RWJ University Hospital Rahway
- RWJ University Hospital Somerset
We are very proud of our hospitals and are committed to ensuring that LGBTQ+ patients can access quality health care in a welcoming and supportive environment.
Our staff regularly creates and attends community events that promote LGBTQ+ inclusion.
We consistently aim to educate our RWJBH community to counteract misleading information regarding common health concerns in the LGBTQ+ community.
Our Policies Protect the Right to Equitable Medical Treatment and Fair Employment Practices
Our policies are intended to eliminate the disparities in care LGBTQ+ patients often face when seeking medical care.
Our policies also protect prospective employees and employees from discrimination.
