Clinical Excellence

November 16, 2007

Kaiser Permanente Recognized for Innovative Program to Reduce Health Care Disparities

Kaiser Permanente has received the "Recognizing Innovation in Multicultural Health Care Award" from the National Committee for Quality Assurance for Kaiser Permanente’s efforts to provide health plan members across the country with culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services.

"Kaiser Permanente has created an innovative program that health plans nationwide should use as a model for bridging language and cultural gaps that so easily get in the way of quality health care," said Margaret E. O’Kane, president of NCQA.

Kaiser Permanente serves 8.7 million members who represent more than 120 different languages. The health plan provides translated materials that are critical to providing quality and equitable health care for patients who have limited English proficiency.

For more information, read the news release.