Serving the LGBTQ Community

Serving the LGBTQ Community

Mount Auburn Hospital strives to create an atmosphere of compassion, respect and commitment to all patients. We welcome and treat all patients. Every patient is given appropriate and timely evaluation and treatment, without discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, language, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or socio-economic status. Mount Auburn Hospital has a longstanding commitment to serving the needs of the LGBTQ community dating back nearly 30 years. Since that time the commitment has only grown, and the number and percent of LGBTQ physicians and other staff has grown as well.

The Institute of Medicine’s 2011 report titled “The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding” determined that sexual and gender minorities face a number of barriers to accessing health care. Many of these obstacles can be traced to stigma and its consequences, whether through personal or structural barriers. Mount Auburn Hospital has taken the following steps to reduce those barriers and to create an affirming environment for patients with diverse expressions of gender and sexuality:

• Provided Dignity Training to all Employees.
• Participated in the Health Care Equality Index and achieved Top Performer.
• Convened a Disparities Committee which conducts an annual LGBTQ needs assessment and adopts objectives for the year.
• Incorporated the ability to record gender identity and sexual orientation data in our new electronic medical record. We understand this is essential to improving the care we provide to LGBTQ patients.
• Added LGBTQ education to our annual hospital-wide training.
• Supported community work geared toward at-risk LGBTQ youth.
• Created MAH LGBTQ logo.
• Celebrated Pride month with a social media campaign.
• Commemorated national pronoun day.
• Commemorated national LGBTQ history month.
• Held listening session for LGBTQA-associated community needs and developed an information guide on Navigating Health Events for Unmarried Same-Sex Couples to respond to needs identified.
• Added questions to our patient satisfaction survey related to SO/GI and LGBTQ experience.
• Added LGBTQ members to our Patient and Family Advisory Committee. We are currently recruiting LGBTQ members again, if you are interested, please contact our PFAC by emailing PFAC@mah.org.
• Annually, we evaluate for educational opportunities, to assist MAH staff in better communicating with and addressing the health needs of LGBTQ patients.
• LGBTQ employees include prominent members of our Board of Trustees, Executive Leadership, and physicians.
• Inclusive non-discrimination policies that specify gender identity/expression and sexual orientation, including patient and employee non-discrimination, patient visitation and patient representative policies.
• Formed an LGBTQA Employee Resource Group. To learn more about our group, email LGBTQA@mah.org.

Finding a Primary Care Provider you are comfortable with is important to your wellness and care.

If you are looking for a health provider with specific experience caring for LGBTQ patients and would like assistance, please contact Kayla Pendleton at 617-499-5665 x4879 or Patient Relations at 617-499-5100.

View a list of our providers who have identified a clinical interest in serving LGBTQ patients.

LGBTQ Health Information and Patient Support Material

• Coming Out to Your Doctor (Human Rights Campaign)
• How to Come out to Your Doctor as an LGBTQ Patient (US News and World Report)

In HealthyPeople 2020, The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has published a list of health issues that require specific attention to disparities for the LGBTQ population.