The HEI leader recertification survey is available to healthcare facilities that have attained HEI LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader status for three or more consecutive years. So, for the HEI 2022 survey (survey open June of 2021), a healthcare facility must have been designated a Leader in the HEI 2018, 2019 and 2020.

The HEI recertification process involves the completion of a more streamlined version of the HEI survey, including attestation to the continuation of existing policies, practices, and benefits, without having to submit validating documentation for the vast majority of survey questions. The purpose is to facilitate more efficient completion of the survey for healthcare facilities with consistent year-over-year high scores. Healthcare facilities will have the option to change previous responses if desired or necessary and will have to answer questions that are new to the survey.

The HEI leader recertification survey and the streamlined returners survey share the same overall structure with the responses from past years displayed in summary tables at the beginning of most criteria sections. The primary difference is that we do not require the submission of validating documentation for items like benefits and other time-sensitive questions in the leader recertification survey.

The recertification process requires that very little information is uploaded to the survey for review. The one exception is in the training section where you will have to still meet and provide verification for both meeting the on-going training requirement as well as promoting the HEI free training to your staff. In addition, there is one new scored question on the survey so you would be required to provide documentation if you respond yes to that question.

Additionally, the HRC Foundation reserves the right to request additional documentation at any time during the review process or to support a current published score. The foremost goal of the HEI is to provide accurate and timely information about healthcare facilities and their policies and practices related to the LGBTQ+ community. Auditing scores and supporting documentation ensures we remain true to this goal and the standards of the HEI.

The Official Submitter must be an employee of the organization who is vested with the authority to submit responses and supporting documentation on behalf of the organization. The official submitter will be asked to attest to the fact that all of the responses submitted to this survey are true, complete, and accurate to the best of their knowledge. The official submitter may not be an intern, fellow, temporary employee, or consultant.

Because the Official Submitter is attesting to the fact that many policies, practices, and benefits have not changed, we strongly recommend that the Official Submitter be an executive from the hospital (or the parent healthcare system) or at a minimum at the director level or above.

Please note that the Official Submitter may be an existing contributor to the survey, but also may be someone who has not actively worked on the HEI 2022 survey and will just be reviewing the information and documentation in the survey and submitting it on behalf of the organization.

In order to maintain the integrity of the HEI, participants will need to submit additional validating information at least once every other survey. Beginning with the HEI 2024 survey, one-half of the inaugural recertification companies will be chosen at random to complete the regular returner survey with the remainder of the inaugural group submitting this additional information for the 2026 survey.

All participants, including those completing the leader recertification survey, will be required to answer any questions that are new to the HEI survey. While there were no changes to the criteria for the HEI 2022 survey, in future years, the HEI recertification process will capture any questions and validating information relevant to the criteria changes as part of the survey.