Community Benefit Annual Report Outlines Kaiser Permanente's Charitable Work

Kaiser Permanente's Community Benefit expenditures – 30 percent more in 2007 than in 2006 – are outlined in its Community Benefit organization's annual report, which now is available for download.

In 2007, the organization spent $1.05 billion in programs and services that range from expansion of charitable care to funding groundbreaking research that benefits not only Kaiser Permanente's members, but is shared broadly to benefit all people. The Community Benefit organization's efforts are focused in four key areas:

• Expanding efforts to provide low-income families with the care and coverage they need
• Working with community health care providers, which Kaiser Permanente calls the "safety net", to help those providers expand services and improve care
• Measurably improving community health by aiding efforts to change policy, organizational practices, and the environmental conditions that influence health
• Conducting and sharing groundbreaking medical research with the public.

The report also notes Kaiser Permanente's escalation of its environmental stewardship role. The organization joined with several other health systems and nonprofit groups to create the Global Health and Safety Initiative, a partnership to increase environmental awareness within the entire health care industry and work to improve patient and worker health and safety.

For more information, read the Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit Annual Report (PDF 2.27 MB) or view the organization's web site.

August 18, 2008 Kaiser Permanente News Center