The University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC) was named a “Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality” in a report released by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) on March 24.

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights advocacy organization, listed UCMC as a hospital leader in its annual Healthcare Equality Index. The survey evaluates healthcare facilities’ policies and practices to promote the equity and inclusion of LGBTQ+ patients, visitors, and employees.

This year, the report evaluated a total of 2,061 healthcare facilities nationwide. UCMC is one of 496 healthcare facilities to be named a leader by HRC. Twenty-four other Illinois medical institutions also appear on the list.

“Since 2014, we’ve logged nearly 1,000 hours of work to make sure we have an inclusive and welcoming environment that honors the diversity of gender identities and sexual orientations of

our patients, visitors and employees,” said UCMC Vice President for Care Delivery Innovation

Brenda Battle in a statement released by UCMC.

In order to be named a “Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality,” UCMC needed to meet the survey’s “Core Four” list of criteria for LGBTQ+ patient care. Medical centers are judged on

patient non-discrimination, equal visitation for LGBTQ+ patients and their families, employment non-discrimination, and training in caring for LGBTQ+ patients.

In addition to being recognized in the annual report, named leaders also received an HRC logo sticker and a toolkit of resources for outreach to LGBTQ+ residents in their service area.