Sentara hospitals earn High Performer designation for LGBTQ+ support

All 12 Sentara Health hospitals in Virginia and North Carolina have earned the High Performer designation for 2024 from the Human Rights Campaign, a nationwide organization working to achieve equality and inclusion for LGBTQ+ persons.

The organization’s annual Health Equality Index (HEI) surveys hospitals and health systems for their policies on equity and inclusion for LGBTQ+ patients, visitors, and employees. Out of 1,065 hospitals participating in the survey, Sentara hospitals were among 462 to earn the ‘High Performer’ designation.

“Sentara is committed to meeting the diverse needs of our consumers, colleagues, and the communities we serve,” says Becky Sawyer, executive vice president and chief people officer for Sentara. “Our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion is rooted in our mission to improve health every day.”

This commitment includes the addition of questions on sexual orientation and gender identity to our electronic medical record to ensure appropriate interactions, pronouns, and language among patients, visitors, and staff. This optimizes the patient experience in our hospitals and ambulatory settings.

Sentara has increased staff education around LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion. Leaders and staff have completed more than 2,700 hours of training across all hospitals, which exceeds the threshold required to achieve High Performer designation.

Additionally, the Center for Plastic Surgery at Sentara Princess Anne in Virginia Beach, Va., includes three seasoned physicians who offer respectful, compassionate gender affirming care to help patients complete their transitions.

“Sentara is intentional about fostering a culture of inclusion,” Sawyer adds. “We want to ensure that every person who interacts with Sentara feels welcome, safe, and respected.”