Why Do We Ask? We Ask Because We Care.

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Providing you with the highest level of care requires us knowing all we can about you. To ensure your experience is personalized to your needs, we will ask you about your race, ethnicity, preferred language, sexual orientation and gender identity.

This information helps us improve the care we provide and offer services tailored to the cultural needs of our patients; ultimately, helping Indiana be as healthy as it can be.

Our Goals

Identify and improve racial and ethnic health disparities.

Help us better understand the needs and identities of our patients.

Ensure every patient is provided with the right resources.

Cultivate inclusive interactions.

Frequently Asked Questions

At your next appointment, frontline staff at IU Health will be asking you about your sexual orientation, gender identity and other demographic info including race, ethnicity and language. The questions to be asked include "What category best describes your race? Choose all that apply.", "Do you identify as Hispanic or Latino?", "What is your preferred language to discuss healthcare?" and "What are your preferred pronouns?".

Right now, the information we have on race, ethnicity, and preferred language, sexual orientation and gender identity is limited or in some cases inaccurate. Having the right information will help us make sure everyone has access to the highest quality of care designed to accommodate their personal and cultural needs.

Everyone is different and so are their needs, such as primary language. Being able to meet those needs is directly related to providing the highest level of care to our patients. We want to make sure you understand everything that is communicated to you from your healthcare team, as well as the educational materials and instructions you may receive.

You are right, we may have this information already. But in some instances, we may not. We want to make sure we have the most accurate information for everyone.

This information will become part of your medical record and will help in continually improving your care. As you know, your medical records are strictly confidential and protected by the HIPAA law.

You don’t have to. Answering the questions is completely voluntary—but this information will help us provide the highest level of care, individualized for you. This type of information is also becoming required by the agencies in charge of hospital accreditation nationwide.

We are dedicated to improving the communities we serve.

In the Community

Our programs are focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.

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All our resources are available to you.

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