Promoting Good Health Makes for Good News
When communities work to improve the health of all their residents, it's worth taking notice. From farmers markets to research breakthroughs to policy initiatives, the articles included here shine a media spotlight on stories that need to be told, and reveal how we can all make a difference.
Community Benefit News
Kaiser Permanente Awards $1 Million to Northern California Non-Profits to Aid Families During Economic Downturn
KP News Center
September 8, 2009
Bringing much-needed relief to families struggling through the recession, Kaiser Permanente Northern California has awarded over $1 million in Community Benefit Essential Services grants to non-profits that offer basic human services such as food, shelter and medical care.
Kaiser Permanente Honored for Efforts to Combat Obesity with 2009 Pioneering Innovation Award at Weight of the Nation Conference
KP News Center
July 27, 2009
Kaiser Permanente, the nation's leading not-for-profit health plan and health care provider, received a 2009 Pioneering Innovation award today from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for its groundbreaking obesity prevention efforts. The award was presented at the Weight of the Nation Conference in Washington, D.C., the CDC's inaugral conference on obesity prevention and control. The award recognizes Kaiser Permanente's industry-leading approach to obesity prevention and management.
Ray Baxter Talks About Being a 'Health Activist' on KGO TV Channel 7
KP News Center
December 23, 2008
How Kaiser Permanente helps people be their own "health activists"– and improve the health and well-being of their communities– was the topic of "The View from the Bay" Dec. 19 on KGO-TV Channel 7 in San Francisco.
Ray Baxter, Kaiser Permanente's senior vice president for community benefit, research, and health policy, appeared on "The View from the Bay" and talked about some of the ways Kaiser Permanente has empowered community members to improve their neighborhoods. Baxter shared one success story in which children were given video cameras to record unsafe conditions on their path from home to school. The video galvanized the community and helped bring about change.
Kaiser Permanente Executive Shares 'Green' Nursery Tips on 'The View from the Bay'
KP News Center
November 20, 2008
Setting up a "green" nursery is easier than one might think, Kaiser Permanente Environmental Stewardship Officer Kathy Gerwig shared on ABC Channel 7 in San Francisco. Appearing on "The View from the Bay," Gerwig noted that an environmentally friendly nursery is critically important because a baby's ability to detoxify industrial chemicals is much less than that of an adult. Further, babies eat more, drink more, and breathe more per pound of body weight than adults, and thus have higher levels of exposure to substances.
For more tips, view Gerwig's interview on "The View from the Bay."
Safety Net Partnerships
Kaiser Permanente Approves $12 Million in Community Benefit Grants in Third Quarter of 2008
KP News Center
October 27, 2008
Kaiser Permanente announced approved more than 490 community benefit grants and donations totaling approximately $12 million in the third quarter of 2008. The not-for-profit organization is committed to supporting programs that enhance education and strengthen the quality of health care to underserved communities and the homeless.
Kaiser Permanente Approves $22 Million in Community Benefit Grants in Second Quarter of 2008
KP News Center
July 29, 2008
In the second quarter of 2008, Kaiser Permanente approved more than 415 community benefit grants and donations totaling approximately $22 million. The quarter's contributions continued to support the organization's commitment to programs that will make a measurable impact on the health of its communities.
Kaiser Permanente Approves $29 Million in Community Benefit Grants
PRNewswire-USNewswire
February, 12, 2008
In the fourth quarter Kaiser Permanente approved 778 community benefit grants, totaling more than $29 million. The charitable contributions underscore the organization's commitment to strengthen the quality of care to underserved populations through Safety Net Partnerships in California.
Kaiser Permanente Provides $1.4 Million in Holiday Gifts to 40 Metro Atlanta Nonprofits
PRNewswire-USNewswire
ATLANTA, December 24, 2007
Kaiser Permanente is providing 40 Atlanta-area nonprofit organizations with a surprise holiday gift in the mail this year: over $1.4 million in grant funds to support local health initiatives focusing on increasing access to health care for low-income, uninsured or underinsured individuals, funding for nursing and pharmacy scholarships, and other community health programs.
Kaiser Gives $200,000 to The Effort
by Kathy Robertson, staff writer
Sacramento Business Journal
November 13, 2007
The Effort, a nonprofit organization that provides primary care in downtown Sacramento for poor patients without insurance, will use a $200,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente to expand its services.
Care and Coverage
Governor Holds Press Conference at Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center to Discuss Health Care Reform
Office of the GovernorWednesday, 12/19/2007
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks on the historic opportunity to expand access to affordable quality care and coverage to all Californians.
Community Health Initiative/HEAL
Kaiser Permanente to Provide Calorie, Nutrition Information on Cafeteria Menus
KP News Center
July 27, 2009
Kaiser Permanente, a leader in promoting healthy eating, will become the first large health care provider in the country to offer calorie and nutrition information on its hospital cafeteria menus after a recent study showed that patrons chose healthier option when menus are labeled with those details.
Kaiser Permanente Supports International Walk to School Day Oct. 8
KP News Center
October 7, 2008
Kaiser Permanente physicians and employees nationwide walked to school with families and students Oct. 8 to mark International Walk to School Day and increase awareness of the importance of physical activity and our impact on the environment. Walking to school directly relates to several key issues for Kaiser Permanente, and to community health concerns in general. While half of all children walked or bicycled to school in 1969, fewer than 15 percent of children do so today. Not coincidentally, rates of childhood obesity in the United States have increased dramatically in the past 30 years.
Obese People with Asthma Have Nearly Five Times Greater Risk of Hospitalization for Asthma, Kaiser Permanente Study Finds
KP News Center
September 4, 2008
Obese people with asthma are nearly five times more likely than non-obese asthma sufferers to be hospitalized for the condition, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the September 2008 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. This is the first study to control for other risk factors – smoking, use of oral or inhaled corticosteroid medications, gastroesophageal reflux disorder, and demographics – that might explain the obesity-asthma association.
Kaiser Permanente Experts on Diet, Environment, Featured on ABC Channel 7 News
KP News Center
August 28, 2008
Two segments on ABC Channel 7 news's "The View From the Bay" program featured Kaiser Permanente experts talking about environmental awareness and using food diaries to control one's weight. Adjusting food portions and making environmentally friendly cleaning solutions were just two tips shared by Kathy Gerwig, vice president for environmental stewardship, and Nora Norback, a registered dietician at Kaiser Permanente.
For more, view Gerwig's segment or Norback’s segment.
Kaiser Permanente presents $10,000 to Watts Healthy Farmers’ Market for Sustainability
By Marie Y. Lemelle
KP News Center
July 18, 2008
Kaiser Permanente’s Watts Counseling and Learning presented a $10,000 check in July to the Watts Healthy Farmers’ Market at its one-year anniversary celebration. This donation is the result of the 2007 David Lawrence Community Service Award won by Ruth Conley, a Watts community champion and social-work associate at the Center. Conley spearheaded the establishment of the market and received the annual award, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, which recognizes individuals and groups who have demonstrated extraordinary efforts to "improve the health of our communities," and includes $10,000 that recipients can donate to the charity of their choice.
By Amy Yarnall
San Diego Union Tribune
February 7, 2008
Making sure children have a safe route to walk to school is a top priority for Chula Vista leaders. In partnership with Walk San Diego, city staff members are conducting walking audits near Chula Vista's 36 elementary schools. Funding to conduct the first three audits came from a Kaiser Permanente grant to Walk San Diego.
Develop & Disseminate Knowledge
More medical providers are moving to computerized patient records
By Bleys W. RoseSanta Rosa (Calif.) Press Democrat
February 12, 2008
The age of shared patient information through computerized networking is here, speeding delivery of medical services from hospitals to doctor's offices.
As employers grapple with skyrocketing health care costs, they increasingly turn to initiatives in the workplace that encourage wellness and good health.
Health Disparities
Kaiser Permanente Launches Web Content About Health Care Disparities
The issue of health care disparities – gaps or inequities in the quality of health across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups – is a national problem, and Kaiser Permanente has launched a collection of online information and resources, at www.kp.org/healthdisparities, to advance the discussion about ending such disparities in the United States.
