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Permanente in the News
A compilation
of news, significant awards, and accomplishments about Permanente physicians
and the Permanente Medical Groups.
KP
News Roundup |
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By
Barbara Caruso, BA
Physician
Appointed to National Commission on Systemic Interoperability
Simon
Cohn, MD, Associate Executive Director of The Permanente Federation,
was recently appointed to the National Commission on Systemic Interoperability
in recognition of his expertise and his leadership role in Kaiser Permanente's
(KP) health information technology.
Dr Cohn has
been a leader in the development of health IT standards for many years
and is also the chair of the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics
(NCVHS). The NCVHS is the federal advisory committee to the US Department
of Health and Human Services, which advises on the Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and on the National Health Information
Infrastructure.
The Medicare
Modernization Act (MMA) mandated that the Commission develop a comprehensive
national strategy for the adoption and implementation of health care information
technology standards, including a timeline and priorities for implementation.
Appointments to the Commission were made by the President of the United
States and leaders from both Houses of Congress.
HHS Honors
the 10,000 Steps® Program
Health
and Human Services Secretary Tommy G Thompson recently announced that
the 10,000 Steps® program, offered to KP members in collaboration
with HealthPartners, is one of 11 winners of the second annual Innovation
in Prevention Awards. The awards are presented each year by Secretary
Thompson to highlight businesses and organizations that are leading efforts
to promote healthy lifestyles. The awards are part of President Bush's
Healthier US initiative and Secretary Thompson's emphasis on preventing
chronic disease and improving Americans' lives.
Participants
in the 10,000 Steps® program sign up online and use a
pedometer to count the number of steps they take each day. The 10,000
Steps® Web site can be accessed anytime to set personal
goals, track daily steps and monitor progress. The program offers the
option of receiving daily e-mails for the first eight weeks that provide
useful tips, support and encouragement to maintain motivation to stay
active.
Culturally
Competent Care Provider Handbooks Honored
The
National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH), a national nonprofit membership
organization of employer-based health coalitions, recently honored KP
National Diversity's Institute for Culturally Competent Care with an Innovations
Award for its Provider Handbook series. The award acknowledges "an
innovative, national program or initiative that substantially impacts
the nation's growing health disparities." KP won the award in the
Health Disparities category.
The Institute
for Culturally Competent Care created the Provider Handbook series in
2000.
Currently,
five publications are available for clinicians working with members who
are Latino; African American; Asian Pacific Islanders; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and Transgender; and individuals with Disabilities.
KP Health
Care for Medicare, Medicaid Patients Ranks in Nation's Top Ten
KP's
Mid-Atlantic States, Colorado, and Hawaii Regions are among the top ten
Medicare and Medicaid programs in the United States, as ranked by the
National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
The services
measured by the Committee include important preventive care programs like
immunizations, rates of screening for common diseases, and controlling
high blood pressure and cholesterol.
KP Hawaii
garnered both of the honors, with their Medicare and Medicaid plans both
in NCQA's top ten. The KP Colorado Region was recognized by NCQA for its
overall health care quality, winning a top-ten national ranking for the
second year in a row. The KP Mid-Atlantic States Region was ranked among
the top five programs in the Southern Atlantic region by NCQA for its
overall health care.
Colorado
Permanente Medical Group (CPMG)
Physician
Named to Colorado Business Committee for the Arts
Berry
Morton, MD, Associate Medical Director, Specialty Care and Hospital
Operations for KP, has been named to the Colorado Business Committee for
the Arts (CBCA) 2005 Board of Directors.
Formed in
1984 by leading Colorado businesses who share a philanthropic commitment
to the arts, CBCA is a member organization of more than 140 leading companies
that recognize the link between our cultural vitality and business success.
Cardiovascular
Risk Factor Management Program Receives Award
Colorado's
Cardiovascular Risk Factor Management Program, which has already won an
award from American Health Plans and an honorable mention from the Vohs
Award, has received another honor: The American Society of Health-System
Pharmacists has given its Best Practices Award in Health-System Pharmacy
to the program.
The
Southeast Permanente Medical Group (TSPMG)
Region Presents
Four Universities with Nursing Scholarship Endowment
KP
Georgia recently awarded $500,000 in scholarships over a five-year period
to four local nursing schools: Clayton College and State University; Georgia
Perimeter College; Georgia State University; and Kennesaw State University.
The scholarships are an integral part of the KP Workforce for Tomorrow
Committee agenda, focused on encouraging individuals to choose the health
care industry as their career field in order to address the severe shortages
of nurses in the state.
Local Star
Power in New Kaiser Permanente Video--Caring for Your Family's Health:
A Guide for African Americans
In
recognition of Black History Month, KP recently launched the African-American
Family Health Project, which focuses on African-American health concerns
and preventive health strategies. The project also includes a video, Caring
for Your Family's Health: A Guide for African Americans, which aired
in many KP markets. Joining the cast were Adrienne D Mims, MD,
Chief of Prevention and Health Promotion for Georgia and Nutritionist
Beverly Washington, also of the Georgia region.
Northwest
Permanente (NWP)
CHR
Awarded $3 Million Grant by National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine
KP's
Center for Health Research was recently awarded a $3 million grant by
the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The grant
is funding a study to resolve the controversy whether a low-carbohydrate
or a high-carbohydrate diet is better for one's health.
The
Permanente Medical Group (TPMG)
Physician
Honored for Tsunami Relief Work
In
recognition of her tsunami relief work, Vajiramala Dharmasena, MD,
received the Good Citizenship Award from the city of San Jose. The award
was presented by Mayor Ron Gonzales during the annual state of
the city address.
Dr Dharmasena,
an obstetrician/gynecologist at the Santa Teresa Medical Center, recently
returned from Sri Lanka, where she worked with team members Sarah Beekley,
MD, Redwood City; Christine Fernando, MD, Sacramento; and Hernando
Garzon, MD, Sacramento. The team spent 16-hour days caring for patients
in refugee camps along the east coast of Sri Lanka. To read excerpts from
Dr Garzon's journal about the team's experiences, go to InsideKP: California.
Tobacco Dependence
Program Wins 2005 Vohs Award
The
Northern California Region's Tobacco Dependence
Program recently received the 2005 James A Vohs Award. The program
has contributed to a more-than-10% reduction in the prevalence of smoking
in its adult population and has become a model for health care systems
nationwide.
The Tobacco
Dependence Program implemented a multifaceted, evidence-based program
to reduce tobacco use among members of the Northern California Region
by undertaking four main strategies: 1) routine tobacco use assessment,
counseling and referral, augmented by provider training, audit and feedback
linked to incentives; 2) enhanced Health Plan benefits; 3) menu of tobacco
cessation programs for members; and 4) worksite and community tobacco
control efforts.
Physician
Invited to Join Program Committee for US Government HIV Drug Therapy Conference
Michael
Horberg, MD, FACP, Director of HIV/AIDS Policy, Quality Improvement,
and Research at the Division of Research and lead for the Committee for
HIV/AIDS Interregional Responsibilities (CHAIR), and a physician at the
Santa Clara Medical Center, was invited to join the program committee
for the first domestic conference on HIV drug therapy sponsored by agencies
of the federal government.
The conference,
Treatment and Management of HIV Infection in the United States,
will be held in the fall of 2005, and will bring together 2000 frontline
clinicians and care providers from the national HIV community for participation
in this inaugural event.
Southern
California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG)
New SCPMG
Business Administrator Named
Tom
Williamson was named SCPMG Business Administrator, after most recently
serving as Vice President, Southern California Human Resources, KFHP/H.
Williamson brings to the job his in-depth knowledge of strategic issues,
such as the Labor Management Partnership (LMP). He began his career with
KP in 1977 as the HR director at the West Los Angeles Medical Center.
Throughout his career in Southern California and the Pacific Northwest,
he has participated in significant policy discussions and decisions. He
sponsored and championed many innovative programs that brought recognition
to Southern California as a leader in Human Resources.
Latino Health
Access Presents Award to Orange County's Residency Program
For
three of the last four years, Latino Health Access (LHA) has awarded the
Golden Tamale Award to the Orange County Family Medicine residency program.
LHA is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization in Santa Ana whose
goals include improving the health of those without access to medical
care in the local area. Family Medicine residents spend time at LHA and
make home visits with lay prometoras, or community health workers.
Dorothy Siddall, MD, Assistant Residency Director, has spearheaded
the partnership with LHA. Warren Wong, MD, and Frank Torres,
PA, both from the Tustin Santa Ana Family Medicine office, spend a
small portion of their time providing medical leadership at LHA. LHA has
received generous grant support from KP and the State of California Healthcare
Workforce Policy Commission.
Regional
Asthma Chief Named Physician of the Year by Professional Association
The
American Association of Allergists and Asthma Specialists chose Michael
Kaplan, MD, Regional Asthma Chief and Los Angeles Medical Center Asthma
Department Chief, as their doctor of the year for 2004.
Los Angeles
Medical Center Physician Featured in Forbes Magazine
Luis
Zeledon, MD, physician-in-charge of teenage medicine at the Los Angeles
Medical Center, was featured in a January 2005 article in Forbes magazine1
on a new study that integrates mental health care for adolescents into
primary care practices. The study found that teens receiving this care--called
quality improvement intervention--had fewer depressive symptoms overall
and were more satisfied with their care.
SCPMG Physician
Receives RJ Erickson Diversity Achievement Award
Ricardo
Sistos, MD, was named as one of the recipients of the RJ Erickson
Diversity Achievement Award for the Southern California region at the
27th Annual National Diversity Conference. Dr Sistos is the cofounder
of Hippocrates Circle, a mentoring program to encourage middle school
students from underrepresented groups, to consider careers in Medicine.
Hippocrates Circle was started five years ago in San Diego and has been
adopted by five other KP medical centers.
Reference
- Gordon
S. Collaborative care helps combat teen depression. Forbes [serial on
the Internet]. 2005 Jan 18 [cited 2005 Mar 22]: [about 3 p]. Available
from: www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2005/01/18/hscout523491.html.
Barbara
Caruso
compiled this material from California Wire, Partner News, and
other PMG newsletters and sources. To submit news of physician or PMG
awards and recognitions, contact Ms Caruso at barbara.caruso@kp.org.
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