woman who wants breast implants, you can simply schedule an
appointment with a plastic surgeon, whereas a trans woman
needs a letter from a licensed mental health professional docu-
menting gender dysphoria. (They need 2 letters for bottom sur-
gery.) There's lots more, but you get the idea.
17. Establish non-discrimination policies in your workplace that
explicitly include gender identity/expression and sexual orienta-
tion, and post them prominently. If unfriendly or discriminatory
practices occur in your facility, address them promptly.
— Shanna K. Kattari, PhD, MEd, CSE, ACS
4 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9
provider often becomes so busy that we can no longer get an
appointment ourselves. That's how economically powerful inclusivi-
ty can be.
Hope for the future
Overcoming long-held beliefs, habits and practice patterns is hard, but it
can be done. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Healthcare
Equality Index shows improvement in LGBTQIA2S+ patient-centered
care every year. In 2019, about 10% of the nation's hospitals asked to be
rated. Two-thirds of that group (including iconic facilities like Yale New
Haven, Mass General and Barnes-Jewish) earned the "Leader in LGBTQ
Healthcare Equality" designation for meeting stringent criteria for
LGBTQ patient-centered care, patient services and support, employee
benefits and patient and community engagement.
I hope all facilities someday meet those criteria. Until then, those of
us in the LGBTQIA2S+ community need your help. Please answer the
challenge to become an inclusive provider.
OSM
Dr. Kattari (skattari@umich.edu) is an assistant professor at the University of
Michigan School of Social Work in Ann Arbor. References for this article are
available at outpatientsurgery.net/forms.
