Press Releases: Georgia
August 24, 2005
HEAL Grant Lends Helping Hand to Community
Kaiser Permanente Presents $10,000 in Grants at 10-Year Anniversary
LITHONIA, Ga. – To commemorate the 10-year anniversary of Kaiser Permanente’s Panola Medical Center, KP of Georgia will present $10,000 in Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) grants to its community partners in Lithonia on Wednesday, August 24, at noon.
Two of the medical facility’s long-time community partners will be present to receive the grants at the ceremony. Nikki Hildebrand, principal of Snapfinger Elementary School, will accept a $5,000 grant to help fund exercise equipment and an instructor for an after school exercise program. Anita Beaty, executive director of the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless (MATFH), will accept a $5,000 grant that will fund a partnership with Grady Community Outreach Services to promote health and wellness in the community. The money will also fund monthly vision screenings for the homeless and the addition of healthy foods to an on-site café.
"Panola has a history of giving back to the community and we’re proud to donate HEAL grants to Snapfinger Elementary School and MATFH. From educational outreach to volunteerism, the family at Panola Medical Center truly cares for its surrounding community," said Jenny Wingard, regional director of Kaiser Permanente primary care.
When the Kaiser Permanente Panola Medical Office first opened its doors in 1995, 12 clinicians provided adult and pediatric services in Lithonia. Today, a staff of 100+ serves nearly 33,000 Kaiser Permanente members, making it the third largest Kaiser Permanente facility.
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.
