This year, Northwestern Medical Center is working on a project to begin collecting Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) data from our patients in a consistent and respectful way. This project is part of our NMC’s ongoing work on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, guided by a core team of NMC’ers and expert consultants.

Why is this important? 

NMC is seeing caring for more LGBTQ+ patients and we need to be able to provide inclusive, affirming healthcare. Some standard healthcare practices and processes can exclude LGBTQ+ patients, especially trans and nonbinary patients, and make them feel unwelcome, unsafe or harm their health. We need to learn how to adjust our practices to work better for everybody.

Gathering SOGI data will help NMC evaluate the care we deliver and ensure that we are meeting our mission of providing exceptional care for our community. In order for care to be exceptional, it must be inclusive, welcoming and supportive for all people. Learning about how to create inclusive processes also helps build a strong workplace culture where LGBTQ+ employees feel valued and welcome.

What steps is NMC taking? 

NMC is starting to update our electronic medical record system to collect more inclusive data about names, pronouns, gender, and sexual orientation. We will share updates as we make these changes.

NMC is also rolling out an organization-wide training program to help NMC staff know how to make NMC a more welcoming space for our LGBTQ+ patients and colleagues. The first trainings focus on talking about sexual orientation and gender identity in respectful and inclusive ways, including calling people by the right names and pronouns. Future trainings will address many aspects of inclusive care.

What do you want to make sure your healthcare providers know about providing inclusive care for LGBTQ+ communities? If you want to share an experience you’ve had at NMC (whether positive, negative or something else) or a suggestion for NMC’s ongoing work on LGBTQ+ inclusion, use this confidential form. The NMC team members and outside consultants who are working on this project will review your input when deciding what training to prioritize next.

What can I expect as a patient? 

When our SOGI data collection goes live, you will be invited to share your sexual orientation, gender identity chosen name, and pronouns. The information will be used to ensure we address you the way you want to be addressed, and to assess how well NMC is doing at meeting the needs of LGBTQ+ patients. You will not be required to share any of this information, and you will have the opportunity to update it when you need to.