At Sturdy Health, we may ask you questions about yourself while caring for you. These questions may include your preferred language, religious preferences, background, living situation, gender identity, or other topics. Your answers help us better understand your individual needs so we can provide the safest, highest-quality, and most equitable care possible. We ask because we care, and we want to ensure that you, as our patient, get the best, safest, and most equitable care possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

What questions will I be asked?

Patients age 18 and older may choose to provide information about their:

Race and ethnicity

Language

Disability status

Gender identity

Sexual orientation

Why does Sturdy Health ask these questions?

This information allows us to provide each patient with respectful, personalized care:

To better understand our community.

To identify and address any gaps that exist and affect your healthcare.

To provide care that is culturally sensitive to our patients.

To understand the need for interpreter services and accessibility support.

To support programs that improve the quality of care.

How do I provide this information and who will see it?

You can answer these questions in several ways:

In-person in a safe, private space when you arrive at our hospital or your provider’s office.

When completing your digital check-in for an upcoming appointment at your provider’s office.
Your information will become part of your medical record. As with any of your health information, your answers are kept confidential and securely protected by Sturdy Health and will only be shared with your healthcare providers and others who are authorized to see your medical record.

What does Sturdy Health do with this information?

What we can’t measure, we can’t improve. Your answers to these questions help to reveal gaps in providing equal opportunity for everyone to achieve their full health potential — regardless of circumstance. Understanding where the gaps are helps us create solutions to address them. We ask because we care about improving your experience and addressing larger factors that affect your health.

I’ve answered questions like this before. Doesn’t Sturdy Health have this information about me already?

As some of this information may change over time for some people, we want to ensure the information we have about you is accurate, so we can continue to provide great care.

What if I don’t feel comfortable answering some of the questions?

Answering these questions is completely your choice. We ask because we care about better serving you and our community.