CU Boulder Health and Wellness Services has been named a 2024 LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader, according to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). This recognition highlights the University’s commitment to providing comprehensive and equitable health care to all members of our community.
“For LGBTQ+ students, this designation ensures that their needs are met, that health disparities are reduced, and that our staff is highly proficient and knowledgeable about the health issues that most impact our population.” This means that structural changes have been introduced to give people peace of mind about their health,” said Sally Rowell, Clinical Manager at Medical Services.
This achievement comes at a critical time when LGBTQ+ people face discrimination and barriers to accessing health care services. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, LGBTQ+ adults are twice as likely to experience abuse by a health care provider compared to non-LGBTQ+ adults.
The recognition from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, which aims to drive change and advance LGBTQ+ rights across a variety of fields, recognizes UW Boulder’s efforts to remove those barriers and support LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and LGBTQ+-identifying students. demonstrate a commitment to providing health care that includes the medical needs of patients. staff.
“The health needs of cisgender, straight, and LGBTQ+ people are very different,” explains Pride Office Director Morgan Seamont. “Whether it’s related to sexual health, reproductive health or trans care.”
Improvement efforts
Health and Human Services received this designation by receiving a score of 100 on the HEI survey, up from 95 in 2022.
“We initially took part in the HEI survey to see where we were, but we have improved our scores over the years,” says Seamont. “The university has made a long-term and substantial commitment to better serve the LGBTQ+ population on campus.”
Health services submitted an application for accreditation in 2022 and expanded the application in 2024 to all health and human services services to emphasize interdisciplinary efforts.
To improve the score from 95 to 100, Health and Wellness Services will be working with a variety of staff across campus, including the Office of the Executive Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Human Resources, the Pride Office, and the Health and Wellness Services TransCare team. I worked with a group of people. Each of these departments invested in training and other programs to better support the LGBTQ+ community.
These partnerships also ensure that the university continues to develop and maintain campus-wide policies that are inclusive of LGBTQ+ students and employees. Seamont added that the partnership will encourage each office to participate in LGBTQ+ programs and on-campus events outside of their normal scope of work. For example, Seamont said campus partners came to the Pride Picnic last year to promote the services they offer transgender and nonbinary students.
“We can use this to let students and parents know that their LGBTQ sons and daughters and non-binary students are coming to an inclusive university,” Seamont said.
Although 100 is the highest score on this index, health services recognize that it does not mean the campus is perfect. Health and Human Services requires him to reapply for that status every two years, and each department and program is responsible for maintaining high standards.
“There is always more work to be done, and the certification recognizes that we are actively working to foster a safer, more positive campus so that all Buffs can reach their fullest potential.” We’ll check,” Lowell said. “Knowing that substantive change is possible motivates us to continue this important work.”
inclusive university
The LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation also demonstrates that Health & Wellness Services is committed to advocating for LGBTQ+ staff on campus. One of the index’s criteria is that “the organization has a diversity and inclusion office, diversity council, or working group focused on workforce diversity that specifically includes LGBTQ+ diversity as part of its mission.” “It is equipped with the following.”
To meet that standard, Health and Human Services shared the university’s employee affinity group terms and conditions, emphasizing support for the community, including LGBTQ+ staff. Rowell said Health and Wellness Services is working to put these commitments into practice through internal hiring practices and staff support.
In addition to this new recognition, UW-Boulder remains one of the top 40 LGBTQ+-inclusive universities.
Campus Pride ranks the university “Best of the Best” for LGBTQ+ students. The university received a 5 out of 5 star rating on the Campus Pride Index, a comprehensive measure of an institution’s commitment to LGBTQ-inclusive policies, programs and practices.
If you are a member of the campus community and need LGBTQ+ support, visit the Pride Office to learn how to access the comprehensive and knowledgeable support you need within Health and Human Services.
