Gender Recognition and Lived Name Compliance: A Guide for UC Davis Health Epic users
By Carolyn Ramirez
Next Lived Name Gender Marker compliance deadline is June 30
(SACRAMENTO)
In 2020, UC President Michael V. Drake announced a new policy to ensure that all individuals are identified by their accurate gender identity and lived names.
While many UC systems already offer nonbinary gender identity and preferred name options, the new policy will be extended to all UC Davis Health documents and information systems. Typical assets – such as Ecotime, UCPath, Outlook, Google Docs, etc. – include applications, policies, procedures, processes, reports, or databases. To learn more about assets, click here.
Epic – a critical component of our health system’s IT infrastructure – plays a pivotal role in implementing the Gender Recognition and Lived Name (GRLN) policy.
‘How do I know if the Epic compliance applies to me?’
If you use Epic as part of your role, here are some things you need to know to help UC Davis Health comply with the GRLN policy by the June 30 deadline.
Legal names should be used for providers throughout Epic.
Epic users who are not credentialed providers can request use of Lived Name, where appropriate, in Epic through a ServiceNow request.
Non-Epic clinical systems can house both one’s Legal Name and Lived Name. Lived Name may be used in contexts that are not part of the legal medical record.
One’s Legal Name must always be present for users who require permission to practice and should not be replaced with Lived Name (i.e. if the system can only support one name).
Scott MacDonald, chief medical information officer of clinical informatics, said, “UC Davis Health has been a pioneer in providing respectful care to sexual and gender minorities for many years. I’m proud that we are taking steps to respecting lived names of our employees. Although legal names are still required by many regulations, we are committed to work with our software vendors to minimize the use of unwanted names, especially in workflows with colleagues and patients.”
Inclusion matters
Adhering to the GRLN compliance policy contributes to a more inclusive and respectful environment. Let’s work together to ensure that everyone’s identity is acknowledged and honored.
Susana Lee, IT director for human resources payroll and scheduling applications, expresses their gratitude to those involved in making this project come to fruition from start to finish.
Lee said, “Collaborating on the Lived Name Gender Marker program for UC Davis Health – in partnership with our executive sponsors, Tammy Kenber, chief human resources officer, and Hendry Ton, associate vice chancellor for health equity, diversity and inclusion – has been an incredible opportunity. We are committed to ensuring alignment, complying across all UC locations, to establish a network of UC systemwide resources.”
