EvergreenHealth Leads in LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality, According to Human Rights Campaign

KIRKLAND, WA — EvergreenHealth recently earned the highest designation in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2026 Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), the industry standard for LGBTQ+ inclusion in health care—naming the health system a Leader in LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality.

This recognition reflects not only EvergreenHealth's policies, but also the way inclusivity is embedded into daily practice across the organization, in every service line and location.

"EvergreenHealth has made a sustained, systemwide commitment to advancing inclusive care for our LGBTQ+ patients, families and staff, and we've taken concrete steps to put that commitment into practice," said EvergreenHealth CEO Ettore Palazzo, MD, FACP. "As we recognize Pride Month, we also recognize that this work is ongoing. Creating an inclusive environment is a continuous journey that requires awareness, learning and action from all of us. We will carry on this work together with our shared commitment as we expand our services and programs to reflect the evolving needs of our community."

The Healthcare Equality Index is published biennially by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation's largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. For nearly two decades, the HEI has served as the national benchmark and roadmap for healthcare facilities working to strengthen LGBTQ+ patient-centered care, evaluating participants across core areas including nondiscrimination and staff training; patient services and support; employee benefits and policies; and patient and community engagement.

As part of its ongoing effort to strength LGBTQ+ patient-centered EvergreenHealth prioritized systemwide efforts, including:

• Creation of a public-facing LGBTQ+ resource page to better connect patients and families with supportive information and services.
• Updates to the Patient Bill of Rights, including affirming that a patient's decision-maker can be any individual they designate
• Establishment of an Intersex Pediatric Policy to ensure that intersex children receive ethical, medically necessary, and developmentally appropriate care.
• Updates to the FMLA policy language to ensure equivalent leave protection for documented domestic partners.

"Health care access for the LGBTQ+ community in 2026 is a tale of both important progress and dangerous setbacks," said Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign. "Even amid extraordinary pressure, many health care institutions are continuing to show up for LGBTQ+ patients and staff, and we are proud of the ways in which the HEI helps the community understand this."

Read the full 2026 Healthcare Equality Index.