About Kaiser Permanente | Heritage

August 28, 2009

Sidney Garfield, MD, and His Legacy Regaled at The Commonwealth Club

Kaiser Permanente cofounder Sidney Garfield, MD, developed numerous innovations in health care and health care reform that are particularly important in today’s health care discussions, Kaiser Permanente historian Tom Debley told to The Commonwealth Club on Aug. 25.

The evening program drew more than 80 people who heard Debley, Kaiser Permanente’s director of heritage resources, discuss how President Barack Obama has repeatedly pointed to Kaiser Permanente as a model for 21st century health care reform.

“Sidney Garfield was a doer — his is a classic American story — a man passionate about his calling and determined in his quest. Like his ideas or not, he and Henry Kaiser brought health care to millions of Americans — more than any two individuals I can think of in American history,” Debley told the group.

For more, read this item in the Kaiser Permanente History Blog, titled “A History of Total Health”.

In addition, Debley’s talk was recorded and will be rebroadcast soon through fora.tv. Watch this URL for rebroadcast information.