Kaiser Permanente International is a consulting and educational arm of Kaiser Permanente, the largest nonprofit integrated health care delivery system in the United States. Kaiser Permanente has long been a leader in providing cost-effective, quality health care. Our largest region in Northern California has been judged by outside agencies to be the best health plan in California for 10 years in a row.

A key purpose of Kaiser Permanente International is to bring the knowledge and experience of Kaiser Permanente to governments, health care providers, health plans, and other institutions around the world that are striving to improve their health care systems. We also seek to learn from other health care systems so that Kaiser Permanente may continue to improve and adopt best practices.

Kaiser Permanente International has assembled an extensive network of health care professionals who serve as the faculty for a variety of educational programs and speak at conferences upon request. Our educational programs typically take place in California, where 70% of Kaiser Permanente’s operations are located, but occasionally occur in other Kaiser Permanente regions as well. We also design customized programs for specific groups, either in their own countries or in the United States.

Kaiser Permanente brings a unique view to the international health care world:

• Nonprofit status and social commitment: As a nonprofit health plan, Kaiser Permanente is committed to improving the health of our members and the communities we serve. Our methods combine the pragmatism of business management with a sense of social responsibility.
• A long history, at home and abroad: We have been open to the public since 1945, and have a long history of successful health prevention, promotion and care delivery. We began as a program for the workers of Henry J. Kaiser, a global industrialist best known for engineering large construction projects and steel. When Kaiser later launched projects in other countries, he often provided consulting from Kaiser Permanente on how to set up a health plan for workers. We can offer proven approaches for improving health, service, and quality in a cost-effective manner.
• Integrated care: Kaiser Permanente owns and operates its own facilities and has dedicated Medical Groups who deliver care exclusively to Kaiser Permanente members. Thus, we integrate the insurance function with care delivery, hospital care with outpatient care, primary care with specialists, health education with disease prevention and treatment, and information technology with care management. We believe this integration has been the key ingredient in our success.
• State-of-the-art information technology: Kaiser Permanente has used computers in medicine for decades, and is now in the midst of implementing a single national clinical information system, called KP HealthConnect. This secure, nationwide system links all aspects of the care experience, including the clinical record, appointments, registration, and billing.
• Extensive resources: Kaiser Permanente serves more than 8.6 million members in the District of Columbia and nine states: California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington. We employ 13,729 physicians and 156,853 employees. Our facilities include 32 medical centers (hospitals with outpatient offices) and 416 separate medical office buildings.