At ARC, we are proud to be an inclusive healthcare organization that treats our patients of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities with respect and understanding. By acknowledging and embracing this diversity, it ensures a positive healthcare experience for our patients as well as our physicians, advanced practice clinicians, and staff.
Recognizing and properly documenting a patient's sexual orientation and gender identity allows the ARC care team to consider specific and important health care needs, while also addressing health disparities they experience, when making these decisions together with each patient. Patients can designate their sexual orientation and gender identity in their MyChart accounts or with their care team in an office visit. In MyChart, preferences are set up at Personal Information > Details About Me.
Our staff is trained to review these details and can also add pronouns in our electronic medical records (EMR) system. Pronouns can only be updated during an office visit. When pronouns are added to a patient's record, it helps us provide a welcoming and affirming environment, making the healthcare visit enjoyable and comforting.
When we can foster a healthcare environment that embraces diversity and makes decisions collectively with all necessary information, we are better able to deliver the high-quality patient-centered care we promise.