Keck Medicine of USC and USC Student Health earned LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader status in the 2026 HEI (Photo – Keck)
Keck Medicine of USC hospitals and USC Student Health, part of Keck Medicine, have received the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2026 Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), a national benchmarking tool for LGBTQ+ inclusion and equity in healthcare settings.
By News Desk
The HEI evaluates hospitals and health systems across five criteria: non-discrimination and staff training; patient services and support; employee benefits and policies; patient and community engagement; and responsible citizenship. To achieve the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation, facilities must earn a perfect score of 100 across all categories.
“Every patient deserves safe and respectful care, and Keck Medicine is proud to serve the diverse needs of the LGBTQ+ community,” said Rod Hanners, CEO of Keck Medicine. “This recognition reflects our commitment to delivering personalized, compassionate care and fostering a welcoming, inclusive environment for all.”
Keck Medicine hospitals include Keck Hospital of USC, USC Norris Cancer Hospital, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital (USC-VHH), and USC Arcadia Hospital (USC-AH). This marks the eighth time Keck Hospital, USC Norris, and USC-VHH have received the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader distinction, and the second time USC Arcadia Hospital has earned the designation since joining Keck Medicine in 2022.
USC Student Health, which provides comprehensive healthcare services to USC students, participated in the survey for the third time and joins a select group of college health providers to receive the Leader designation.
Keck Medicine highlighted a range of ongoing initiatives supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion and equity, including the USC Gender-Affirming Care Program, which provides evidence-based care for transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse patients, supported by a dedicated patient navigator.
The health system is also involved in community and educational efforts, including sponsorship of the Latino Equality Alliance LGBTQ+ Youth College Scholarship Program and participation in the annual Los Angeles Pride Parade in partnership with the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
In addition, Keck Medicine collaborates with LGBTQ+ organizations such as The TransLatin@ Coalition and Bienestar, focusing on advocacy and community health support for transgender, gender non-conforming, intersex, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ populations.
Since 2015, the Keck Pride employee resource group has supported LGBTQ+ patients, families, and staff and contributed to several of the health system’s inclusion initiatives.
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign, oversees the Healthcare Equality Index, which assesses equity practices in healthcare institutions nationwide.
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