Medical University of South Carolina earns Top Performer status in Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Healthcare Equality Index

CHARLESTON, S.C. (March 29, 2022) – The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) has been designated a 2022 LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 15th anniversary edition of the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey of health care facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of their LGBTQ+ patients, visitors and employees. A record 906 health care facilities actively participated in the 2022 HEI survey, and 251 of those earned an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer designation.

Top Performer status is awarded to health care facilities that attained a score of at least 80, meeting minimum requirements in each of the four criteria, in the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) 2022, administered by theHuman Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC).

“As a leading health care provider in South Carolina, we are committed to eliminating the health disparities impacting our LGBTQ+ community,” said Chase Glenn,director of LGBTQ+ Health Services and Enterprise Resources. “Our journey to provide the highest quality of care to this community doesn’t end with this achievement. We will continue to advocate for equity in care and access to services. We pledge to meet the unique needs of LGBTQ+ individuals in our state.”

The HEI evaluates and scores health care facilities on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:

Foundational policies and training in LGBTQ+ patient-centered care.
LGBTQ+ patient services and support.
Employee benefits and policies.
Patient and community engagement

In the 2022 report, an impressive 496 facilities earned HRC’s LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader' designation, receiving the maximum score in each section and earning an overall score of 100. Another 251 facilities earned the Top Performer designation with scores between 80 to 95 points and at least partial credit in each section. With 82% of participating facilities scoring 80 points or more, health care facilities are demonstrating concretely that they are going beyond the basics when it comes to adopting policies and practices in LGBTQ+ care.

“MUSC Health recognizes that LGBTQ+ patients face many barriers to accessing appropriate health care services and often experience worse health outcomes,” said Patrick J. Cawley, M.D.,CEO of MUSC Health and vice president for Health Affairs, University. “We are committed to building an LGBTQ+-inclusive experience for our patients and families and lead progress in this area across our health care system.”

To learn more about LGBTQ+ health care services at MUSC Health, please visit our services page.

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About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a unique mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education,researchand patient care. Each year, MUSC educates more than 3,000 students in six colleges – Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy – and trains more than 850 residents and fellows in its health system. MUSC brought in more than $327.6 million in research funds in fiscal year 2021, leading the state overall in research funding. MUSC also leads the state in federal and National Institutes of Health funding, with more than $220 million. For information on academic programs, visit musc.edu.

As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Patient care is provided at 14 hospitals with approximately 2,500 beds and five additional hospital locations in development; more than 350 telehealth sites, with connectivity to patients’ homes; and nearly 750 care locations situated in all regions of South Carolina. In 2021, for the seventh consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.

MUSC and its affiliates have collective annual budgets totaling $4.4 billion. The nearly 25,000 MUSC team members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, students,affiliates and care team members who deliver and support groundbreaking education, research, and patient care.

About the Human Rights Campaign Foundation

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public’s understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work.