As all healthcare organizations know, employee training is critical for policies to be lived out fully and consistently. Organizations have found training particularly important for ensuring LGBTQ patient-centered care. Training employees in LGBTQ concerns not only ensures that LGBTQ patients receive equitable and culturally competent care. It also helps to improve the general hospital climate towards all LGBTQ people, specifically LGBTQ employees.
The Joint Commission’s LGBT Field Guide explicitly notes that a hospital can only provide welcoming and competent care through a workforce that is prepared to do so. The Field Guide urges healthcare facilities to provide its employees with training in LGBT patient-centered care, stating that “hospitals should offer employees high-quality training that equips them with the tools to provide equitable, knowledgeable, and welcoming care for LGBT patients and their families.” The Field Guide further provides a list of suggested LGBT topics to cover in trainings, varying methods to train employees, and other key recommendations in training employees in LGBT patient-centered care.
To meet the first component of this requirement, healthcare organizations must have key facility employees receive expert training in LGBTQ patient-centered care. Training programs should offer all incoming and current staff the information and skills they need to provide culturally competent care and services to their LGBTQ patients.
Training requirements vary by facility and are determined by whether or not the facility has previously met the HEI Executive Briefing Training Requirement, which is typically met during the first year of HEI participation. Facilities that have previously met the HEI Executive Briefing Training Requirement, need to meet the HEI On-Going LGBTQ Education Requirement. A facility can learn which training requirement it needs to meet by logging into the HEI survey and reviewing the training section.