The renowned Johns Hopkins Medicine in Maryland has recently unveiled an extensive pronoun usage guide for its employees, an initiative prompted by a policy promoting inclusivity introduced last year.
According to Fox News Digital, the directory lists fifty distinctive pronouns, including less conventional ones like "aerself" and "faerself," intending to facilitate staff members' compliance with the inclusivity-driven ID policy.
Johns Hopkins Medicine has emphasized that this guide offers detailed instruction on applying these pronouns in various workplace scenarios. Some examples given include "ve," "xe," "per," and "ae," with usage examples like "Ae cleaned the office all by aerself" and "I gave faer the key." The guide also provides guidelines on the proper usage of titles, such as "Mr." for men, "Miss" for women, and the gender-neutral "Mx." for nonbinary or gender-diverse individuals.
Accompanying the pronoun usage guide, a current policy now allows employees to display their legal names on their ID badges or, if preferred, a name aligning with their gender identity. Paula Neira, Johns Hopkins Medicine's Program Director for LGBTQ+ Equity and Education, highlighted in a podcast earlier this year that professionals at the hospital can use their chosen names on their ID badges, extending this provision to patients who can select their wristbands' names.
Neira elaborated on the policy during an appearance on the podcast "Fundamentals for LGBTQ+ Cultural Awareness," produced by Johns Hopkins Medicine's Learning Technology & Innovation. Neira revealed, "On the workforce side, for our people, we updated the ID badge policy this March of 2022 to allow us to use a chosen name on our ID badge." She further noted that recent legislative changes in Maryland made these alterations possible.
However, Neira also mentioned two exceptions to the chosen name policy. For those employees licensed by the Washington, D.C., government, the ID badge must align with the name on their certification. Moreover, public safety officers in the state can use their chosen words on Johns Hopkins-issued badges, but Maryland State Police mandates that their identification aligns with their legal names.
A senior instructional designer from the Johns Hopkins Health System, who hosted the podcast, appreciated Neira for elucidating the policy, acknowledging that she had previously assumed legal names were always mandatory in a healthcare setting.
An esteemed transgender military veteran, Neira earlier served as the clinical program director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Transgender and Gender Expansive Health. In 2015, she made history as the first transgender Navy veteran to have her new name reflected in her discharge documentation.
This shift in pronoun and name rules has met criticism from some corners. Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a retired professor and former associate dean for curriculum at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, argued that such changes risk compromising clear communication between doctors and patients and might suggest a political bias. "To use pronouns associated with one's identification badge suggests that an individual has a particular ideological and political perspective," Goldfarb stated.
Goldfarb, who currently chairs the board of Do No Harm, an organization of healthcare professionals, medical students, and policymakers striving to protect healthcare from what they term "radical, divisive, and discriminatory ideology," also suggested that some patients might find these changes unsettling. He contended that using a name indicating a different gender from what the patient can readily identify could harm the doctor-patient relationship.
Responding to these criticisms, a spokesperson for Johns Hopkins Medicine affirmed the institution's commitment to fostering an inclusive and diverse community. The spokesperson stated, "As part of this focus and in compliance with Federal and state regulations, we enable our faculty, staff, and employees to choose the way their names are displayed on their identification badges."
The spokesperson explained that there could be many reasons why individuals might choose to be identified in a particular way, including preferences for using a middle name, cultural nuances, or the choice of gender-ambiguous names. "JHM will continue to provide options to our community to ensure a respectful and inclusive environment," the spokesperson added.
The recent developments at Johns Hopkins Medicine reflect a broader societal shift towards recognizing and respecting individual identities and preferences. By implementing a diverse range of pronouns and advocating for chosen name usage, the healthcare provider aims to create an inclusive atmosphere that embraces diverse gender identities and self-expression.
However, the balancing act between fostering inclusivity and maintaining clear and effective communication in a healthcare setting appears challenging. As Dr. Goldfarb's concerns highlight, these new policies may inadvertently breed confusion or create potential barriers in doctor-patient communication, a relationship built on trust, clarity, and understanding.
Yet, the adoption of such inclusive measures is not without precedent. Similar policies have been implemented in other institutions nationwide, demonstrating a trend toward greater recognition of personal and gender identity in professional environments.
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