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Founded in 1985, Kaiser Permanente of
Georgia is the state’s largest not-for-profit
health plan. Its mission is to provide high
quality, affordable health care services to
improve the health of their members and the
communities it serves. Kaiser Permanente
serves more than 240,000 members in
metro Atlanta and Athens with care focused
on total health that is guided by a team of
heathcare providers. Expert and caring
medical teams are supported by industry-
leading technology and tools for health
promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the
art delivery and world-class chronic disease
management.
Kaiser Permanente of Georgia cares
for people – both inside and outside of the
exam room. As a nonprofit, tax exempt
health plan, the idea of health care goes
beyond the walls of medical facilities and
into the communities it serves. Kaiser
Permanente’s Community Benefit refers to
investments and activities the organization
uses to encourage wellness, especially in
underserved communities. As a nonprofit
health plan, Community Benefit is integral
to the mission of helping communities
achieve good health. It spans the 32-county
service area, where Kaiser Permanente
works to enhance people’s health and well-
being, especially those who may be at-risk
due to age, ethnicity or socio-economic
status.
Q: How does Kaiser Permanente
work to benefit the community at-large by
addressing issues and concerns that affect
its overall health?
A: This year, Kaiser Permanente is
celebrating 30 years in Georgia. Improving
the health of the communities we serve has
always been an integral part of our mission.
As a not-for-profit organization, we have
developed a robust Community Benefit
program that provides everything from
charitable health coverage for the uninsured
to grants to fund local health initiatives. We
even have an Educational Theatre Program
that tours metro Atlanta schools, conveying
health messages to children through
engaging theatrical performances.
Q: How does Kaiser Permanente
partner with other organizations to
create long-term, sustainable changes in
communities that promote health equity
and reduce health disparities and disease
burdens?
A: Every three years, we develop a
Community Health Needs Assessment
to identify the most pressing challenges
affecting people within our service area,
and those findings guide our community
outreach efforts. Our current areas of focus
include obesity, diabetes, hypertension,
heart disease and stroke. We provide grants
to local not-for-profit organizations and
clinics that aim to move the needle on these
health issues.
To ensure our communities have
qualified health care providers, Kaiser
Permanente provides scholarships to
students at local colleges and universities
who are pursuing degrees in medicine,
nursing and pharmacy.
In addition to supporting the work
of other not-for-profit organizations, we
also offer healthy living courses within our
medical centers. Most of the classes, which
range from step aerobics and yoga to healthy
cooking and diabetes prevention, are free
and open to the public. For details, just visit
kp.org/classes.
Q: Tell us a little about your efforts
to improve access to health care for
low-income and underserved families in
Gwinnett.
A: Over the past 30 years, Kaiser
Permanente has continued to expand
and now operates four medical centers
in Gwinnett County, which reflects our
commitment to serving this community.
Although we strive to deliver high quality
care at affordable prices to all of our
members, health coverage is still out of reach
for some families. Our Community Benefit
program partners with the Gwinnett Career
Resource Center and Gwinnett Technical
College to identify families and individuals
who could benefit from our charitable health
coverage program, which provides access to
care for up to two years.
Kaiser Permanente has also supported
AID Gwinnett, Good Samaritan Health
Center of Gwinnett and the Gwinnett
Community Clinic through grants to
improve access to healthcare services.
Q: What benefits have you seen from
your Chairman’s Club membership in the
Gwinnett Chamber?
A: Our goal is to build relationships
and become a community partner in the
areas where our members live and work.
The Chairman's Club has been an invaluable
resource for Kaiser Permanente, providing
us an opportunity to connect with regional
business leaders and tell our story.
Question & Answer Session
WITH JULIE MILLER-PHIPPS, PRESIDENT, KAISER FOUNDATION HEALTH PLAN OF GEORGIA
THE EXECUTIVE – Q3 2015
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