Developing and Disseminating Knowledge and Training

California - Northern

One of the tenets of Kaiser Permanente Northern California Region is that a responsible health care organization must engage in research and teaching. It also must be involved in advancing the health care field and preparing health care providers for the future.  Several Kaiser Permanente Northern California Region Community Benefit Programs provide important resources toward this end.

• Educational Theatre Program
  Kaiser Permanente Northern California Region’s Educational Theatre Program uses live theatre, music, comedy, and drama to inspire children, teens, and adults to make healthier choices and better decisions about their well-being.  To meet the diverse health needs of today’s kindergarten through 12th grade audiences, the Educational Theatre Program offers award-winning presentations designed expressly for Kaiser Permanente with the help of teachers, parents, students, health educators, medical professionals, and professional performing artists.  The Educational Theatre Program’s performances are led by young professional actors/educators who are trained in health issues and youth counseling, and who reflect the cultural diversity of the communities Kaiser Permanente serves. After each performance, the Educational Theatre Program provides students, teachers and parents with fun educational support materials designed to facilitate an ongoing dialogue about the health issues covered in the program. These materials draw on the latest health and child development information and include teacher guides and lessons, student activity books and wallet cards with health information and hotline numbers.  For the current list of available productions, visit:  http://xnet.kp.org/etp/

• Training Healthcare Providers of the Future
  For 60 years, Kaiser Permanente Northern California Region has been committed to addressing the growing national shortage of medical professionals by maintaining one of the largest residency programs in the United States.  In addition, the School of Allied Health Sciences in Richmond, CA offers certification programs in Radiology, Sonography, Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Therapy, and Phlebotomy. These programs emphasize serving culturally and medically diverse populations, the use of the latest technological innovations, and the ethical, professional, and personal development of residents.  A signature element in many of the residency and allied health care training and education programs is a community service rotation through a community clinic or public hospital.

• Division of Research
  The Division of Research, founded in 1961, conducts, publishes and disseminates epidemiologic and health services research to improve the health and medical care of Kaiser Permanente members and society at large.  The emphasis of the research is to understand the determinants of illness and improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care delivery.  The Division of Research conducts hundreds of research projects annually on a wide range of topics, including heart disease, cancer, alcohol use, mental health, reproductive health, women’s health, children’s health and much more.  Visit the Division of Research Website at: http://www.dor.kaiser.org/index.html