Grants, Education & Programs

Education and training

Education is critical to improving community health. Kaiser Permanente education and training efforts focus both on clinical education for the health care workforce and on consumer education for our members and the people in our communities.

Clinical education includes residency programs in many of our regions, clinical training programs, scholarships, fellowships and more. We recognize that as the population ages, the shortage of medical professionals is growing. Confronting this threat to the future health of our nation requires both traditional and innovative methods. You’ll see a sampling of our clinical programs below.

Our consumer education programs vary from region to region, but range from health education classes, to our signature Educational Theatre Programs, and providing nutritional information at our Farmers’ Markets. We have expanded public access to health information, by including Kaiser Permanente’s 30,000-page health encyclopedia on our Web site, www.kaiserpermanente.org. Visitors in many public libraries can check out Kaiser Permanente health education videos on a broad array of topics. Our goal is to encourage people in our communities to make informed health choices and to thrive.

Residencies, Clinical Education and Training,

Residencies: Each year, Kaiser Permanente trains more than 2,000 physician residents and interns. A signature element in many of our residency programs is a community service rotation through a community clinic or public hospital.

Placing medical residents in community clinics provides much needed staffing, but just as importantly, it has a powerful effect on these residents, sensitizing them to the needs of the uninsured and inspiring them to continue serving the community. Many residents who join Kaiser Permanente as physicians continue to volunteer in the clinics. Others who have served in our residency programs have gone on to become medical directors of community clinics or physicians at hospitals serving vulnerable populations.

IHI Health Care Improvement Scholarships: In 2004 Kaiser Permanente provided an $8 million endowment to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). The endowment funds new scholarship programs to allow health care professionals to participate in IHI health care improvement programs including conferences, training courses, and collaborative learning sessions. IHI programs focus on issues such as clinical outcomes, patient safety, patient satisfaction, office and hospital redesign, health disparities, and health care access. Approximately half of the scholarships are available to non-Kaiser Permanente safety net (public hospitals and clinics) teams. The remaining half of the scholarships will be given to teams from Kaiser Permanente to support health care improvement efforts.

Kaiser Permanente’s School of Allied Health Sciences: Located in Richmond, California, the School of Allied Health Sciences offers a wide array of courses and a wealth of career opportunities. The school helps fill the tremendous need for medical imaging technologists and other allied health professionals. It offers certificate courses in radiography, sonography, nuclear medicine, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), basic and advanced phlebotomy, venipuncture, fluoroscopy, mammography and radiation therapy program. While there is a charge for tuition, graduates can pay off their tuition with years of service if they obtain a position with Kaiser Permanente after graduating. Learn more about the school.

Nursing Pathways: Kaiser Permanente is also deeply engaged with the continuous development of the nursing workforce—from new professionals to nursing leadership. For more information on programs in each region, including forgivable student loans and scholarships, visit http://nursingpathways.kp.org and select your local region.

Health Care Interpreter Certification Program: Kaiser Permanente recognizes that qualified health care interpreters provide the critical linkage between clinicians and patients that influences care access, quality of care, and patient safety when those communicating do not share a common language and/or culture. Our Health Care Interpreter (HCI) Certificate Program fosters culturally competent care in diverse communities by increasing the community's own capacity to provide high-quality health care interpretation. Click here for more on the program.

Consumer Education and Training

Educational Theatre Programs: Our award-winning Educational Theatre Programs have been among our most constant and visible Community Benefit programs since our troupes of actor-educators began performing in 1985. Our shows provide current, age-appropriate health information to young people between the ages of 5 and 18 and to a growing number of adults. More than 11 million people nationwide have seen these free performances.

Delivering health promoting messages through live theater has proven an effective way to capture the attention and imagination of young audiences. Participants come away better informed and better able to make healthy choices. Topics include conflict resolution, substance abuse, self-esteem, AIDS and HIV, alternatives to violence, and grief coping skills. The shows, developed in response to community identified need, are developed with rigorous attention to medical and educational best practices. They usually involve live music, dance, comedy, drama and audience interaction, along with follow-up classroom exercises, a teacher’s guide, family participation elements, and other carefully crafted reinforcing activities. The actor-educators are specially trained on the health issues and in peer counseling.

Educational Theatre Programs – to go directly to our Educational Theatre web site