In the Community

March 29, 2011

Kaiser Permanente Employees Join Forces for Better Health

Healthy Workforce ‘Take and Give’ Campaign Emphasizes Health Awareness While Raising $1.2 million for Community Benefit Organizations

Kaiser Permanente employees and physicians are known for advancing a total approach to health throughout the organization. Whether providing care in hospitals and clinics, or promoting habits such as walking and healthy eating, the organization strives to champion a message of health that embraces the many factors that impact personal health and well-being. Last year, Kaiser Permanente took the message of total health one step further by integrating an innovative approach to workforce wellness with its commitment to serving the health needs of its communities. The outcome was impressive: over $1.2 million in charitable contributions raised to support two very vital organizations working to promote better health in underserved communities.

‘Take and Give’: The Total Health Assessment

More than 22,500 eligible Kaiser Permanente employees, dentists and physicians took the Total Health Assessment in 2010 as a result of Healthy Workforce’s Take and Give campaign. The assessment was designed to help people better understand how their health is impacted by lifestyle habits and behavior, providing them with a personalized action plan for improving their health. As part of an overall Take and Give campaign, Kaiser Permanente’s workforce was encouraged to “take” the Total Health Assessment, and in return, Kaiser Permanente would “give” $50 as a matching contribution for each person’s participation.

Healthy Workforce, a joint initiative with the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, was launched in 2010 with the charitable donation program as one of its cornerstone offerings. “We were delighted by the positive response to the charitable donation program and would like to thank everyone who participated,” commented Tammy Jones, vice president, Healthy Workforce. “We will continue the charitable donation program in 2011 with Kaiser Permanente once again donating $50 for every THA completed by an employee this year.”

Supporting the Health of Vulnerable Communities

The record response to the Take and Give campaign generated contributions far beyond expectations. In March 2011, $1.2 million was awarded as part of Kaiser Permanente’s Community Benefit grantmaking program to two nationally recognized non-profits — Connecticut-based Wholesome Wave and the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care headquartered in Washington D.C. Both organizations are doing groundbreaking work in supporting the health needs of vulnerable communities.

“We are thrilled at the success of the 2010 Take and Give campaign and the level of workforce engagement that has resulted in this collaborative program,” said Raymond J. Baxter, PhD, senior vice president Community Benefit, Research and Health Policy, Kaiser Permanente. “Not only has the campaign succeeded in educating Kaiser Permanente’s workforce about the steps they can take to improve their own health, it also highlights the unique work being done by our community partners to support the health needs of vulnerable populations in our communities.”

Wholesome Wave will use the funding from Kaiser Permanente to expand its highly successful fresh food incentive programs that encourage low-income consumers to increase their purchase of nutritious produce through local farmers markets. National Assembly on School-Based Health Care will use its grant funding to expand the number of school-based health centers providing much-needed oral care to public school students across the country.

As part of the Take and Give campaign, an additional $50,000 was awarded to the Georgia Region of Kaiser Permanente for having the highest participation in taking the Total Health Assessment. Georgia’s Community Benefit department is using the award to provide funding to two organizations: Project Open Hand and the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Both organizations will be using their grant to support food and nutrition programs for vulnerable people living in the Greater Atlanta metropolitan area.