Press Releases: Mid-Atlantic States
February 1, 2010
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States Bestows Over $25 Million in Community Benefit Grants in 2009
Funding reinforces Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to the health of Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia residents
ROCKVILLE, Md. — Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, the area’s largest not-for-profit health plan and care provider, announced today that its 2009 charitable contributions topped $25 million, with approximately $17 million for direct medical care and insurance coverage for uninsured and underinsured residents of Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia and another $8.4 million in grants, donations, and sponsorships to organizations that support the health safety net and community health initiatives.
The grants and donations — the most Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States has ever awarded — focused on improving access to health care for underserved communities, improving the quality of health care in community clinics, supporting healthy eating-active living initiatives, developing and disseminating knowledge, and providing communities with assistance during hard economic times. More than 100 organizations received funding.
“Kaiser Permanente is committed to building partnerships with the institutions that serve on the frontlines of health care for the uninsured and underserved. By providing support to community health centers and local health departments, we help them deliver medical care to the people in our communities,” said Carrie Harris-Muller, chief administrative officer for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc. “By addressing the immediate needs of people who are struggling to put food on the table, coupled with our long-term goal to ensure access to healthy foods, we are directly investing in improvements to the health and wellness of our communities. At a time when individuals and community organizations are struggling, we’re committed to providing support that helps them stay healthy and safe.”
Following are some of the key grants awarded in Kaiser Permanente’s focus areas.
Charitable Health Care
In 2009, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States dedicated approximately $17 million to provide subsidized health care and insurance coverage for 5,050 low-income and uninsured adults and children in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
- Kaiser Permanente’s Bridge Plan, a comprehensive health coverage plan for qualified low-income and uninsured in the greater Baltimore-Washington area. Through collaborating with local governments and community-based not-for-profit organizations, Kaiser Permanente provides help to those who cannot afford health coverage for reasons such as a change in job status or income, but do not qualify for federal or local health assistance such as Medicaid. The Bridge Plan provides rich benefits for up to 3 years, with member premiums subsidized up to 95 percent by Kaiser Permanente.
- Medical Care for Children Partnerships (MCCP), a unique public/private collaboration to provide care and coverage to the metro area's uninsured children. Kaiser Permanente’s community partners, such as the Fairfax County Office of Partnerships and the Prince George’s County Health Department, help identify uninsured children who are ineligible for public health care programs. Kaiser Permanente provides direct medical services to the children enrolled in the program at its medical offices.
Safety Net Partnership Grants
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States gave over $4 million in Safety Net Partnership grants in 2009 to improve care and expand access to treatment for the underserved and uninsured throughout the region, including:
- $300,000 to the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, $150,000 for its Neighbors in Need fund and $150,000 for the Partnership for Prince George’s County to help build the capacity of Prince George’s County nonprofits to serve and advocate for their communities.
- $200,000 to Greater Baden Medical Services, Inc., one of the few health care safety net providers and the only Federally Qualified Health Center in Prince George’s County, to expand its services to the greater Maryland community. Specifically, funds will be used to support current operations for strategic planning and staff development to improve care and to expand capacity to allow treatment of more patients.
- $200,000 to the Spanish Catholic Center, Inc. to support its dental clinic that serves more than 2,200 uninsured adults and children in the District of Columbia.
- $90,000 to the Virginia Health Care Foundation to address basic mental health needs of low-income and uninsured Virginians, and to expand the capacity of Virginia’s health care safety net.
- $55,345 to the Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County to improve care for overweight and obese children enrolled in its Care-For-Kids program.
Community Health Initiatives
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States gave over $3.8 million to organizations in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia to support initiatives that seek to measurably improve health by addressing specific community health needs. Funding included:
- $499,750 to CommonHealth ACTION in Washington, D.C., to establish a new public health institute — the Institute for Public Health Innovation (I-PHI) — that will serve the District of Columbia, Maryland, and most areas of Virginia. As a new member of the National Network of Public Health Institutes, I-PHI will work across jurisdictions, sectors, and disciplines to achieve optimal health for all communities, through convening, training, research, and advocacy.
- $131,800 to the Associated Black Charities of Baltimore to fund “The Baltimore Collaborative to Increase Access to Healthy Foods.” The collaborative addresses obesity in Baltimore City and will impact 83,000 Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS) students with Kaiser Permanente’s assistance. The grant will support Healthy Stores, Healthy Zones, a community-based program that works to improve the diet and reduce obesity risk among low-income African American children by partnering with 30 local food stores and community youth organizations to create “healthy eating zones,” around Baltimore City schools. In addition, the Great Kids Farm program will use the funds to redevelop Bragg Nature Center into an organic farm, where students will learn agricultural skills and grow produce that will be used in BCPSS breakfasts and lunches.
- $75,000 to Engaged Community Offshoots, Inc., of Prince George’s County, to support the expansion of the Master Peace Community Farm in Riverdale, Maryland, to grow and market fresh produce to low-income residents, provide youth and adult education and training in food production and preparation, and to create community-based economic opportunities through its Eating Full Circle Program.
Developing and Disseminating Knowledge
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States is dedicated to advancing health in the region through research, education, and training and awarded approximately $900,000 to organizations that share this same goal, including:
- $150,000 to the Maryland Healthcare Education Institute, with pledges of an additional $150,000 a year through 2013, for a total commitment of $750,000. The grants will support nursing education with the goal of doubling the number of graduates of nursing programs in Maryland.
- $98,183 to the Prince George’s County Health Department to support a data collection program that is expected to produce valid and reliable countywide data to help the county understand and address social determinants of health and other factors related to chronic disease.
Supporting the Community in Hard Economic Times
With hunger in America reaching its highest level in 14 years, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States is dedicated to making investments in short- and long-term strategies to help communities make it through this recession healthy — awarding over $530,000 to local nonprofit organizations that provide access to healthy foods at local food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens around the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan area, among them:
- $180,000 to Food Research Action Center, Washington, D.C., to work with anti-hunger advocates in Maryland and Washington, D.C. to remove barriers that prevent eligible people from receiving food stamp benefits and to assist school districts to help eligible families participate in school breakfast and supper programs.
- $150,000 to Manna Food Center, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, to expand its “Smart Snacks” program, which provides a bag of nutritious, kid-friendly food to more than 1,050 elementary school children each week at 32 schools, and to fund a new program, “Fresh Food for Families,” which brings local farm produce to families in need.
- $90,000 to the Maryland Food Bank, to assist its work providing food and to a network of more than 900 soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, and other community food providers across the state of Maryland.
- $90,000 to the Fredericksburg Food Bank, one of the few food banks serving Northern and Central Virginia, to serve thousands of hungry families throughout the region during the 2009 holiday season.
- $20,000 to Doorways for Women and Families, of Arlington, Virginia, to support a life-saving continuum of care, hope, and safety for thousands of women and families experiencing domestic violence and/or homelessness in Virginia.
About Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States region, headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, provides and coordinates complete health care services for almost 500,000 members through 30 medical office buildings in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, founded in 1980, is a total health organization composed of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc., and the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, P.C., an independent medical group that features approximately 900 physicians who provide or arrange care for patients throughout the area. The health plan is considered one of Maryland’s “Top HMOs” according to the Maryland Health Care Commission. U.S. News & World Report/NCQA’s “America’s Best Health Insurance Plans 2009 – 10” placed Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States in the nation’s 100 top commercial health plans, and our Medicare plan 15th overall in the nation and #1 for D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. In addition, it was recently named “Highest in Member Satisfaction” among Commercial Health Plans by J.D. Power and Associates. For more information about Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States region, visit www.kp.org
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 8.6 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.
