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Establishing Equitable Policies and Practices

Establishing Equitable Policies and Practices

Equitable Practices

Establishing an equitable workplace and delivering equitable healthcare requires a commitment to fair treatment, career advancement, and equal access to health care regardless of age, disability, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Initiative

In our continuous effort to provide inclusive care to all persons we serve, Trinity Health Of New England recognizes all gender identities and expressions. In alignment with Trinity Health’s Core Values, everyone should be treated with reverence and compassion by our providers and colleagues, not solely for comfortability, but also to enhance their quality of care and their health status overall. Just as hospitals are obligated to respect all patients regardless of race, ethnicity, age, religion, creed, sex, disability and sexual orientation, so too must they respect a patient’s gender identity and gender expression. The need for an understanding of transgender patients applies to understanding transgender colleagues as well.

Important Information About Transgender Health Care at Trinity Health Of New England

At Trinity Health Of New England, our goal is to deliver compassionate, high-quality, and affordable health services to all, including transgender patients and their families, offering a wide range of transgender health care at our inpatient and outpatient facilities. Guided by robust policies, Trinity Health Of New England prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression and calls on all colleagues to provide unbiased, respectful, and sensitive care to transgender, non-binary, and gender-expansive patients and their families. We are connected with an extended network of care which includes hormone therapy, mastectomy, breast augmentation, orchiectomy, and hysterectomy.*

When a service is not available at our facility, our providers will offer further information to the patient, as appropriate. For example, providers are made aware that generally some sterilizing procedures—including some surgeries—are not performed at our facility. In these instances, providers may transition that portion of a patient’s care to other providers within a reasonable distance, such as Hartford Health Collective.

We welcome inquiries from patients, families, companions, and providers about the wide range of transgender health care available at our facilities. We are deeply committed to providing high-quality, supportive, welcoming care, regardless of gender identity or expression.

*Our facility follows the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services in service to patients and with respect to procedures offered to patients, and our clinicians are always ready to discuss your needs.

Supporting Practices and Policies

Trinity Health Of New England has supporting policies that reflect the considerations, practices, and processes outlined above. Our policies stated in our patients’ bill of rights, our notice of nondiscrimination, and other related policies are inclusive of all LGBTQIA+ patients and colleagues.  

Our Regional Health Ministry believes all patients have the right and option to self-identify themselves in reference to sexual orientation, assigned sex at birth, and current gender identity. Employees are trained to gather this information with consideration and respect for the patient.  

Trinity Health believes that individuals should not be denied access to medical care nor be subject to harassment and discrimination based on how they express their gender identity or sexual orientation. 

This effort is informed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Rule 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, which went into effect in July 2016, as it applies to gender identities.

Resources for Patients and Providers   
LGBTQIA+ Community Resources

  • Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective empowers individuals of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions to lead healthy lives through the provision of health and support services, education and advocacy.
  • Triangle Community Center offers programs, services and events that provide critical resources and assistance to the LGBTQ community in the Fairfield County.
  • LGBTQ Support Group in Waterbury is a group run by the True colors and LGBTQ task force group of Waterbury to provide programs and guidance to LGBTQ youth.
  • True Colors is a non-profit organization that works with other social service agencies, schools, organizations, and within communities to ensure that the needs of sexual and gender minority youth are both recognized and competently met. 
  • Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services: Programs and Services for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People with Mental Health and/or Substance Abuse Issues  
  • Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) have begun in DMHAS state-operated facilities. GSAs support people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and their allies by creating safe environments in mental health and substance abuse facilities to support each other.
  • Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth provides a map of resources for LGBTQ youth throughout the Massachusetts area. The commission was put in place to work closely with the state government on policies, programs and resources for LGBTQ youth. The commission has also produced the safe schools program to organize GSAs as well as create safer secondary school environments.

LGBTQIA+ National Resources