We LIVE our MISSION
For over 65 years, the people of Kaiser Permanente have remained devoted to the mission of improving the total health of our members and the communities we serve. And in 2010, our organization was never more committed to the cause of health.
The year was marked with major milestones in our efforts to make high-quality health care affordable and accessible. Kaiser Permanente led the nation, among all reporting commercial and Medicare plans, with top National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) Quality Compass marks in a total of 23 quality measures. This includes top marks for breast cancer screening, treatments for diabetes, weight assessment for children, and appropriate use of medications for asthma treatment. Sixteen Kaiser Permanente hospitals were named "2010 Best Hospitals" based on the results of the Leapfrog Group's national survey. That survey measures hospitals' performance in four crucial areas of patient safety and quality: the use of computer physician order entry (CPOE) to prevent medication errors; standards for doing high-risk procedures such as heart surgery; protocols and policies to reduce medical errors; and other safe practices recommended by the National Quality Forum; and adequate nurse and physician staffing.
Our members in California, Colorado, Georgia, and Mid-Atlantic States regions rated our health plans highest in customer satisfaction in the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 U.S. Member Health Insurance Plan Study SM. Kaiser Permanente in the Northwest region ranked third on the same survey.
In 2010, we completed our plan to have every one of our facilities up and running on Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect®, our electronic medical record system. This provides our care teams with real-time access to patient information and evidence-based best practices all in one place. It gives us all the information about all our members all of the time. This enhances patient safety and quality of care while also increasing convenience and coordination. Our comprehensive health information system is the largest in the private sector, securely connecting nearly nine million Kaiser Permanente members to their physicians, nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists, and other caregivers with personal and protected medical information, plus breakthrough medical knowledge.
Our deep commitment to our communities was reflected in the $1.8 billion investment we made to support a broad and growing range of programs to serve the needs of diverse populations, including community-based health partnerships and programs that provide care for low-income individuals and underserved communities. We also conducted and shared important research to inform and advance health care overall. For example, a Kaiser Permanente research study in Colorado was one of the first to show that an intensive population management program that matches heart disease patients to personal nurses and clinical pharmacy specialists not only reduces the risk of death but also reduces health care costs. Another Kaiser Permanente study found that heavy smoking in midlife is associated with a 157 percent increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and a 172 percent increased risk of developing vascular dementia.
The year was remarkable for us as an organization and also for our country with the passage of the Affordable Care Act. We are encouraged to know that 32 million Americans, who previously found themselves outside the system, will finally have access to coverage for vital preventive services and chronic disease management – principles that are core to Kaiser Permanente's integrated care delivery model. Also, for the first time, Medicare will reward high-quality health care. We believe connecting financial incentives to high-quality care will substantially improve the lives of all Americans. We are confident that the investments we have made in our people, technology, and infrastructure, along with our continuing efforts for improvements in the areas of quality, service, and affordability, have positioned us for continued success in the changing health care marketplace.
We remain focused on delivering the best patient-centered care and service to our nearly nine million members. And, we are passionate about creating a culture of health by encouraging regular exercise and healthy eating, both for our members and everybody in this country. Our campaign to get all of America walking – Every Body Walk! – is beginning to make progress at multiple levels. It is all part of our mission to improve the total health of our members and the communities we serve so we can all thrive.
George C. Halvorson
Chairman and CEO
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.
Kaiser Foundation Hospitals
Jack Cochran, MD, FACS
Executive Director
The Permanente Federation, LLC
