Press Releases: Georgia
November 28, 2005
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, Inc. announces $1 million gift to the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Inc.
ATLANTA, Ga. – In recognition of its 20-year anniversary in Georgia, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, Inc., has announced the establishment of a $1 million community benefit fund at The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.
Of the $1 million, $500,000 will fund research, led by Georgia State University?s Health Policy Center, to assess gaps in the health care safety nets in select metro Atlanta communities and form collaborations to support improvements. The remaining $500,000 will provide two to three communities with grants to develop programs that emphasize the importance of healthy eating and regular exercise as ways to maintain good health and/or improve health outcomes.
"This grant demonstrates our commitment to the community and fulfills our social mission as a non-profit health plan to improve the health of not only our members but the communities we serve," said Carolyn Kenny, president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, Inc. "We chose The Community Foundation because of its long history of effective grantmaking by helping donors match their philanthropic interests to address critical needs in the community."
"We are excited about this unique opportunity to bring together The Foundation's grantmaking expertise and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia's focus on community health improvement. This partnership demonstrates what boundless possibilities there are when organizations bring their best skills and ideas to the table, ultimately resulting in enormous long-term community rewards," said Alicia Philipp, president of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, Inc. has a 20-year legacy of reinvesting in the communities it serves. This year, the health plan?s community benefit program provided more than $5 million to support health education, community partnerships, subsidized health coverage for low-income families and collaborations with local clinics, health departments and non-profit organizations.
The Community Foundation, one of the metro area's largest philanthropic institutions, gives away an average of $40 million in grants annually throughout the Atlanta region.
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.
