In the latest episode of the To Your Health podcast, we talk with Patient Advocate and Transgender Care Navigator, Jackie Levin, RN. Levin describes Jefferson Healthcare’s ten-year journey toward creating a more equitable, just healthcare experience for people in East Jefferson County.
June 25, 2024
At Jefferson Healthcare, we are committed to providing equitable and inclusive care for all residents of East Jefferson County. To share about our dedication to this mission, Patient Advocate and Transgender Care Navigator, Jackie Levin, RN, spoke to us on the To Your Health podcast. Levin shared her insights on Jefferson Healthcare’s ongoing efforts to support the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly transgender and gender diverse individuals.
Health equity is a cornerstone of Jefferson Healthcare’s mission. Jackie Levin explained, “Equity is a step that we’re in the process toward health justice.” She shared a poignant story from over a decade ago of a transgender patient who faced misgendering in our emergency department. This incident catalyzed Jefferson Healthcare’s journey toward health equity, leading to significant improvements in our approach and how we train staff.
One of the significant strides Jefferson Healthcare has made is in the training of our providers. Levin emphasized, “We have trained many providers in gender-affirming care.” This training ensures that our transgender patients receive appropriate and respectful care, including hormone replacement therapy and other specialized services.
Additionally, Jefferson Healthcare has implemented changes in our electronic medical records to include fields for pronouns and gender identity, ensuring that all patients are addressed correctly and respectfully. We have also introduced pronoun buttons for staff and included pronouns in our email signatures and provider pages to help ensure staff communicate that Jefferson Healthcare is a welcoming place that respects all patients.
The Health Equality Index AwardOur commitment to health equity has been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) through a Health Equality Index (HEI) Award. Jefferson Healthcare’s score of 100 from the HRC is testament to our ongoing efforts to provide inclusive care. This award requires that Jefferson Healthcare meet rigorous standards that evolve each year.
Levin highlighted the significance of this award, saying “we are not a checkbox organization” that seeks accolades for their own sake. Instead, Jefferson Healthcare’s decision to pursue the HEI Award is viewed as a journey toward continual improvement. “When we are going for an award like this,” says Levin, “we’re saying, what are the needs in our community and how can we better address them? How can we become more inclusive?”
But earning the HEI Award this year is not the end for Jefferson Healthcare. “This is not something that we know we’ll ever achieve in perfection, and we don’t want to be perfect,” says Levin. “We’re reaching cultural humility and inclusion. So that would be our journey is to make sure that we hear things, we are willing to open our eyes to see them, and then make adjustments so that we do better.”
Levin also underscores the importance of community input. “Every patient has a voice,” she says. “We recognize that we are not always the ones with the answer and that we can look to our community and involve our community as the ones who partner with us in making healthcare more of a just place.”
Visit our website to listen to our full conversation with Jackie Levon on the To Your Health podcast.
Jefferson Healthcare is an award-winning, full-service healthcare organization meeting the care needs of East Jefferson County. Jefferson Healthcare offers inpatient and comprehensive outpatient services including primary and specialty physician care.
