KP Taking Action

We’re part of the solution.

At Kaiser Permanente, we believe everyone deserves a safe and healthy relationship. But we also understand that it’s difficult for people to talk about violence they experience from a family member of intimate partner. That’s why our physicians and the rest of our health care team take the initiative to identify domestic violence and provide referrals and resources to help end abuse.
In 1998, we started the Family Violence Prevention Program, an innovative model of care at our Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center in Northern California. This program provides a comprehensive and integrated approach- to build awareness, provide care, and prevent future cases of domestic violence.
Today, we’re implementing this model at all our facilities in Northern California. It’s just another example of how we’re caring for the total health of our members – mind, body, and spirit – so they can live life well.

Because health is a cause.

Domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence, affects all types of people, regardless of gender, ethnicity, race, sexual identity, or religion. The effects are damaging, enduring, and far-reached – and they impact the mind as well as the body. Victims don’t just include the person who’s abused, they also include family members who witness the violence. That’s why domestic violence prevention is one of our community goals.
The hurt doesn't stop with the injuries. Intimate partner violence often leads to a higher rate of other health conditions such as chronic pain, headache, depression, and low birth weight. Domestic violence is clearly a health issue.
Kaiser Permanente is proud to be a leader in addressing the problems of family violence and working with our partners in health care, government, and the community to develop programs that work. Because when we’re all healthy, happy, and safe, we all thrive.

"Kaiser Permanente's Family Violence Prevention Program is a great example of our belief in the total health of our members. It helps us make sure that anyone who's experienced family violence gets the care they need and the follow-up that can save lives. Your vital signs include more than your height, weight, and blood pressure; they include how happy and healthy you are with your life"

George Halvorson
Chairman and CEO, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc., and
Kaiser Foundation and Hospitals, Inc.