Press Releases: Southern California
September 6, 2007
Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center Recognized for Best Palliative Care
Archstone Foundation Funds Study to Develop Model Program for California
LOS ANGELES – Kaiser Permanente has announced that its Bellflower Medical Center's Palliative Care Service has been named by the Archstone Foundation as one of the six top programs in California that will participate in a two-year best practices study. Palliative care consists of pain and symptom relief provided to patients who suffer a serious illness.
"Kaiser Permanente is committed to providing high quality patient care," stated Evie Vesper, assistant medical center administrator. "This grant enhances our ability to continue to provide comfort, pain management, and symptom relief to patients that have serious illnesses from the hospital setting through to the patient's home environment."
The Archstone Foundation is providing Kaiser Permanente's Bellflower Medical Center the two-year grant, of nearly $200,000, to fund the development of a hospital-based palliative care model that can be replicated. This project is being evaluated by an outside, non-profit research center at Partners in Care Foundation. "This grant from Archstone provides us with a valuable opportunity to measure the impact of the program and ensure that it is successful in providing high quality care consistent with the wishes of Kaiser Permanente patients," according to Susan Enguidanos, MD, director of research for Partners in Care.
Patients that receive palliative care are managed by a team of health care providers, which include physicians, nurses and social workers that are dedicated to giving comprehensive, coordinated and compassionate care to seriously ill patients.
During the two-year study, 500 patients over the age of 65 will be screened for pain and symptom control, quality of care, and patient satisfaction. This data will be used to develop a model based on an interdisciplinary, consultative inpatient palliative care program designed to improve the quality of life for patients and reduce their pain and discomfort.
Kaiser Permanente's Bellflower Medical Center hopes to provide information to the medical community about models that improve pain and symptom control, and support patients and their families as they attempt to learn how to manage the chronic condition at home. Learning from this project will also help raise community awareness about the benefits of palliative and hospice care, and the ability to integrate these practices within the acute hospital setting.
Archstone Foundation is a private grant making organization whose mission is to contribute toward the preparation of society in meeting the needs of an aging population. Under the leadership of Joseph F. Prevratil, J.D., President and CEO, the Archstone Foundation has awarded more than $65 million in grants since it was established in 1986. The Foundation's funding priorities include elder abuse and neglect, end-of-life issues, fall prevention, and responsive grant making to address emerging issues within the aging population. In fiscal year 2007, Archstone Foundation has awarded 29 new grants and issued approximately $5 million in support of its mission.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a nonprofit, group practice prepayment program with Southern California headquarters in Pasadena, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 3.3 million members in Southern California. Today it encompasses the nonprofit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Kaiser Permanente's Southern California Region includes more than 49,900 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 6,000 physicians representing all specialties. More information about Kaiser Permanente can be found at kaiserpermanente.org.
