Press Releases: Georgia
September 18, 2003
Kaiser Permanente of Georgia among region's top five health plans for effectiveness of care in NCQA report
ATLANTA, Ga. – A report just released by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) listed Kaiser Permanente of Georgia (KPGA) among the top five health plans in the South Atlantic Region in effectiveness of care.
NCQA's report, "The State of Health Care Quality 2003," includes data about hundreds of health plans on measures such as quality, performance, accreditation and member satisfaction. The report includes national and regional averages and benchmarks, and helps to establish targets for improvement.
The NCQA ranking shows the commitment Kaiser Permanente physicians and staff make to provide high quality health care for their members. KPGA received top scores in several clinical measures:
- Childhood Immunizations: KPGA had the nation's best score with 96.1 percent of KPGA's pediatric members under the age of two having received their required chicken pox immunizations.
- Women's Health: KPGA scored second in the nation on its chlamydia screening rates for members in the 16-20 and 21-26 age groups. Overall, almost 72 percent of patients were screened for chlamydia, one of the most reported STDs in the U.S.; 92 percent of KPGA's female patients were appropriately screened for cervical cancer, one of the most successfully treatable cancers when detected early.
- Heart Disease: 93 percent of KPGA's members received regular cholesterol checks after a heart attack; 81 percent had their cholesterol levels under control.
"Our high scores are a critical benchmark for successful health plans today and show we are focusing more attention on measures that save lives," said Bruce Perry, MD, medical director for The Southeast Permanente Medical Group, which treats Kaiser Permanente members.
Kaiser Permanente is the state of Georgia's largest nonprofit health plan, serving the health care needs of Atlanta metro area residents for 22 years. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, Inc. currently provides comprehensive health care services to approximately 275,000 members through 15 medical facilities in a 28-county service, and a network of affiliated hospitals and physicians. The Health Plan provided more than $5 million in community benefit programs and services.
