Risk implications and management strategies

Domestic Partners

Risk/Implications

The cost and value of offering domestic partner benefits:

A letter to the Board of Directors

The Children's Hospital of Dallas is committed to hiring the most qualified applicants, regardless of their sexual orientation. High-quality care is one of the hallmarks of our institution, and particularly given the shortage of many critical healthcare professionals such as nurses, we cannot afford to exclude any group from consideration. Furthermore, the hospital wishes to be EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) compliant. Nondiscrimination is a cornerstone value of all civil rights legislation.

Given this commitment to equality, a nondiscrimination policy regarding the extension of benefits to domestic partners seems logical. How can the Children's Hospital say to staff members that they are welcome to practice medicine here or to serve our community in an administrative capacity but that their partners are not regarded as equally valid as the heterosexual partners of other employees? Until the state allows gay marriage, domestic partnerships must be regarded as the same as state-sanctioned marriage.

Some are concerned that if the Children's Hospital extends benefits to domestic partners, it will be seen as 'taking sides' in the debate over gay rights and lose many important donors. They argue that our hospital should not be seen as entering the political fray, and because it is a Children's Hospital, it should be focused upon children's issues alone. However, as more and more states allow gay marriage and more and more institutions extend benefits to partners regardless of gender, I would argue that it is essential that our hospital not be seen as 'behind the times.' Furthermore, many gay men and women are parents, and thus showing a nondiscriminatory attitude towards all persons indicates that gay people are welcome to come here for treatment, and to bring their families here for treatment. A gay family will be more inclined to regard the hospital favorably if they know staff members are being treated as equals.

Most people, unless they have a personal 'stake' in the issue, are unlikely to care if the hospital pursues a nondiscriminatory policy towards extending benefits to same-sex couples. All they care about is if whether they and their children are cared for appropriately. A nondiscriminatory policy will attract just as many, if not more, people as it might alienate. And over time, even people uncomfortable with same-sex partnerships will still come to the hospital, once it is demonstrated that we provide the highest-quality care in the area.

Finally, as a hospital committed to the health of children, it is impossible to overlook the issue of children who are bullied because they are gay or are perceived as being gay. Extending benefits to all same-sex partners shows that the hospital is taking a stand against bullying. The hospital must show its belief in the dignity of all human persons, and psychological health is an important component of childhood wellness as physical health.